


Summer with the Mafias

by PaoshiroHozomi



Category: Anastasia (1997), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: F/M, Guns, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Russian Mafia, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 14:34:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2736152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaoshiroHozomi/pseuds/PaoshiroHozomi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack & Hiccup recently became an item. Normally relationships go through trials and hurdles right? However, with the Nightmares' fearlings behind their backs, the boys are thrust upon constant dangers of the Mafia wars involving bombs, guns & hand-to-hand combat. For Jack and his friends, this summer turns out to be anything BUT normal. In between major identity revelations, life and death decisions, can the boys hold on to their innocence or will they have to accept the fact that having a normal life is simply overrated?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Occupational Hazard

An Occupational Hazard  
*o*Chapter 01*o*

Jackson Overland is a seventeen year old Junior in Highschool with a case of lacking pigment at the hair follicles, therefore rendering him with white-locks in such an early age. Despite that, he made it work for him and is considered by female and male populace alike as attractive. His eyes were a startling blue color, and even more dazzling than that is his smile.

He recently moved into Berk from the Burgess. And that's because he has been recently adopted by a large man that looked like he could be Santa Clause. Pretty close, his name was Nicholas North Clausen. 

Well, sort of adopted.

North was single, and ran a simple Toy store. That didn't really make much, even when there were a dozen kids coming and going. So there were still some final documents to pass and those documents needed money to be approved as well.

The white-haired teen had been ecstatic. There were a dozen kids at the foster home, and he was mostly helping out in caring for them than a candidate for adoption ever since he reached his teen years, but he didn't hate it. He loves kids, although it hurt at times when they came and go. He never expected to be adopted, let alone by a man who sells toy to kids for a living. He was still not entirely sure why the man wanted to adopt him, but he wasn't about to complain. Plus, helping the man out at the shop when he had the time meant seeing more kids. So it wasn't like it was out of his comfort zone.

Jack still kept his last name because he wasn't legally North's son yet. But the teenager spent enough time over the large man's home and even slept over more often than not that the people from the foster home decided to stop beating around the bush and just let Jack move in with him already.

One day, North finally landed his big break and saved up enough money in the bank to start a toy company. There was a catch though, and the two had to move to Berk where there was an old rustic building sold for a reasonable price and it was large enough. He didn't have enough to build a new building, but he had a whole lot to start from scratch and with some renovations it would be as good as new. The foster home that still technically owned Jack were kind enough to allow the teenager to go and leave with the man, so long as North would keep in touch until all papers would be finalize.

And with the new development of his career, Jack knew it won't be for too long.

So now, Jack lived in Berk. It was much colder than Burgess, but hey, he wasn't complaining. He loved the snow and cold. So much possibilities for endless fun and whatnot. But that wasn't the only thing he love about Berk, and Jack realize it wasn't the best part of Berk.

Henry Horrendous Haddock was the Mayor's son who still had his feet planted firmly on the ground and attended the Local Highschool instead of the prestigous Berk Academy. That's pretty much how they met. Jack was the new kid who needed orientation and a tour guide, someone to keep him up to speed. Henry was assigned by the Welcoming Commitee to take Jack around, and long story short the two became friends almost instantly.

It didn't take awhile for Jack to make some other friends. There was this guy, Jamie, and after helping his sister out with a bully issue they were buds, not to mention getting the guy out of a situation too. Jamie still believed in Santa Claus, the Toothfairy, Easter bunny, Sandman and all, that he got picked on for that. Well, not exactly believed but stayed interested in them since he believed that one can learn a thing or two from these so called Guardians of Childhood figures. So he still very much supported them and made references about them in existantial reflections and whatnot.

Then there was James Pleiades Hawkins, or Jim as he preferred to be called, and his boyfriend, a certain Russian-American Dimitri Sudayev hung around Jack early in the year because they only become an item because of him. Although it was purely an accident in Jack's opinion. During the first day, Jack and Henry were walking down the stairs with the brunette telling him about clubs and whatnot. Then Jack stepped on aguy's shoelace who was a bit off to the side opposite of them and that caused said guy to trip over, falling down and just when he was suppose to meet the hard floor, a younger guy was passing by on his skateboard and the falling guy crashed on top of him.

Jim was the skater boy, Dimitri had been the one falling. Turns out, the falling guy fell in more ways than one. It didn't help that Jim had been Dimitri's crush for a while now and vice versa for goodness knows how long.

They kissed then and there, call it a hormonal drive, but it worked out. 

Henry cracked up at the whole incident, commenting that Jack sure knew how to make a mess of things the right way, when he started hicoughing. And it just didn't seem to stop until the whole tour was over. Jack thought it was hilarious, but unlike the brunette, he didn't start hicoughing. And so by that, Hiccup was the personal nickname Jack uses on his friend.

And things only got better as the school year progressed.

Forming solid friendships with Jamie, Jim, and Dimitri was great and all but Jack found that he preferred hanging out with Hiccup. Jack was so happy that the guy was very intellectual. He was only fifteen and should technically still be a Freshmen, but because of his intellect he was advanced two years up back when he was still at Junior High. Thanks to that, Jack could hang out with him easily than if Hiccup had only been a Freshmen.

They'd banter a lot, and sometimes get into some good-natured arguements like Hiccup commenting that Jack should study more and the latter inserting that Hiccup should eat more. Sometimes, Jack tested out some hilarious pick-up lines he read off the net. Jim commented that they were like a silly couple helplessly flirting, but Jack just rolled his eyes at him.

But some time later, Jack would catch him thinking about Hiccup when least expected. Like, if staring at chocolate milk and wondering if the brunette's hair look creamy or if it was more of a silky texture wasn't the most unexpected thought he entertained during breakfast, he didn't know what was. North noticed the change, and when Jack came to visit him at work one day, final rennovations nearly finished, the man led him to his office, locked the door behind them and squeezed the truth out of the boy. Jack had a hard time explaining it, and that was odd in itself. The teen could always easily talk to North. But he didn't understand it but he was just drawn to the boy who could always draw a laugh out of him by his natural wit, but Jack was feeling weird whenever he got close to the brunette as the school year moved along. North understood what was going on, but decided to let Jack figure it out on his own. His only advice was to stay close to Hiccup until he finally figured it out. And it was during one day, when he saw Hiccup being harassed by some dark-haired guy that Jack started putting the pieces together.

Hiccup told him about Peter, the guy who was harassing him, that he was his stalker after Jack came and got him out of the predicament. The brunette admitted that he used to go to the Academy but his father transferred him out because of the guy. That's also when he first told Jack about being openly gay.

The white-haired teen wasn't bothered that Hiccup was gay, actually he was more bothered that his friend was being sexually harassed right in front of his eyes and he was freaking out in his mind, imagining what might've happened if he hadn't swooped in on time for the rescue. The idea also made Jack feel rather protective of Hiccup.

And that was when he discovered what, exactly, was the weird feeling he kept having.  
~o~  
"I like you, will you go out with me?"

The two boys stood across of each other as silence followed after Jack's confession. In all honesty, it wasn't too surpising. For the passed weeks, Jack had been a more touchy feely than usual and flirted with Hiccup more obviously. They've also been hanging way too often and it was clear that Jack had fallen hard for Hiccup. He didn't know exactly why, maybe it was the way Hiccup would get snarky when he was annoyed or embarrassed. Or it could be how super adorable he'd get when he was playing with his jet-black dog. Could it be the way he would smile crookedly or perhaps how Jack finds himself mesmerized whenever he looked into those emerald orbs passing for eyes?

Whatever it was, Jack was hooked.

"No."

"Wait." Jack froze, "what?"

"You heard me," Hiccup replied, but in his eyes, there was a reflection of sadness and regret. "I can't allow myself to go out with you."

Jack's heart sank. Of course, the teen considered the possibilty of rejection. But he had been hopeful, Hiccup was openly gay. And whenever Jack flirted with him, the brunette reciprocated every now and then. And he seemed interested, at least in Jack's opinion. So this was a painful blow... 

Wait. The white-haired teen replayed the answer in his mind, "you can't allow yourself to go out with me? What does that even mean?" Jack frowned.

"Exactly that. I can't," Hiccup sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Peter would be out to get you, and that's just not an option."

"What the hell, who gives a damn about Pitch?" Jack scowled. "this is about us, your stalker got nothing to do with this. Besides, he hasn't been seen for months. C'mon Hic, summer vacation's tomorrow, give me some summer romance~" he drawled playfully.

Hiccup was having none of it, though, narrowing his eyes and placing his hands on his hips. "Jack, yes, he is most definitely a stalker, and a dangerous one." he snapped.

In addition to that, Peterson "Pitch" Black is the son of Drago and Gothel Black, whom are rumored to be powerful leaders of the Nightmare Mafia. The Police believed Peter had nothing to do with his parent's dealings since Peter lived alone and had full scholarship and all, so they believed that maybe his parents abandoned him. At least, they believed that a couple months ago. Before graduation at Berk Academy, he suddenly went missing. And with the symbol of the Nightmares found at his apartment, well, it wasn't a good sign. 

"I'm not scared of him."

Hiccup bursted at that. "Well, you should be!" he spat. "My last two suitors three to four years ago at Junior High were mysteriously killed, their cases are still unsolved. And when I attended their funerals to pay my respects, Peter showed up at both saying he wanted to comfort me. Which is ironic, because he caused the grievances those days."

"Wha-what?" Jack blinked in disbelief. "how can you be sure? I mean, sure Pitch is a bit psycho but really...?"

Hiccup glared at him, crossing his arms. "I never even introduced either one of them to him. They were complete strangers to him." he saud meaningfully.

"... Oh,"

"Yeah, Oh." Hiccup shook his head, shouldering his backpack, "we're still friends if you like, but I can't give you more than that. I'm sorry," And he really did look sorry.

Jack was silent for a moment, then taking a breath, he replied. "Okay."

"Well," Hiccup scrunched up his nose. "I feel I should take offense by how easily you took it but since I did reject you, I guess it's-"

Jack cuts him off. "You didn't let me finish," he said. "I'll accept your answer if you tell me, right now, that you have no feelings for me. At all."

It was Hiccup's turn to freeze. He knew he should've lied, it would make things a whole lot easier. But that didn't mean it was easy to do. "I... I can't do that, Jack."

Jack looked relieved by the response. "All right," he wrapped his arms around Hiccup's waist and pulled him closer, making said boy yelp. "then we are going out." he kissed Hiccup on the tip of his nose.

"Jack!" Hiccup flushed, placing a hand over his nose. "haven't you been listening?!"

"I have, and with Pitch missing for god knows how long, I'm not quite assured that he won't try anything to get his dirty hands on you." Jack buried his face in Hiccup's hair. "I won't let that happen, I'll protect you..."

Hiccup groaned, burying his face to Jack's hoodie in resignation. Summer or not, it was still kind of cold here in Berk. "You dork," he complained half-heartedly. "you know, you being my boyfriend is going to be an Occupational Hazard,"

"Sounds fun, I'm all for it." Jack chuckled, running his hand through those brown locks, before pulling back to cup Hiccup's face, making the boy look up to him. "will you hire me then?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Guess you're the only one qualified for the job, not to mention the only one applying." he said snarkily. At that note, Jack leaned down and kissed him. The younger boy was shock but soon, Hiccup melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's neck.

One thing's for sure, this summer was going to be exciting.


	2. Evening Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> North has big news for Jack, and suggested the teen to invite his friends over for the dinner celebration after. What do you think the man has in store for the white-haired teen? Whatever happens, it will blow his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just incase anyone's curious, Jack, Jamie, Hiccup and Dimitri were Juniors before summer started and Jim was a freshmen. Now they're incoming Seniors and Sophomore (but of course that's inconsequential since I'm not gonna write about that)
> 
> Warnings, some OOC
> 
> ^_^ A smile can save a life
> 
> Disclaimer, I own nothing. AT ALL. But my brain.

Evening Assault  
*o*Chapter 02*o*

It was a Saturday, already the last day for the first week of summer was drawing to a close. Jack and his friends were chilling out at the North residence 6pm into the evening. Jack's candidate-for-a-father said he had big news, had a big celebratory dinner planned and told him he could invite some friends also to be in on it, but only ones that mattered. This, of course, included Hiccup, Jamie, Jim and Dimitri. Sophie wanted to come, too. But Jamie didn't really feel like babysitting no matter how much he loved his sister, especially when all his friends were dating, and if they would be pairs throughout the evening, he rather be alone than be counted together with his younger sister. Luckily, her friends Pippa and Cupcake called her over for a sleepover. So she didn't fuss about it too much.

On the other hand, the one Jack had invited first, his boyfriend, seemed to be the last one to arrive because he wasn't even there yet.

"Don't worry so much, Jack." Jamie said, "Henry's coming, he said he'd be here, didn't he?"

Jack made a face. "I could go to pick him up if I didn't have to entertain you three," he grumbled.

"You call what you're doing entertaining? Jim's the one who brought us something to do," Dimitri teased, throwing his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder who sat between him and Jack on a long couch. "please, you're not exactly host-material."

Admittedly, they weren't really doing anything but waiting at a couch, watching some random movie Jim brought over about an Alternate version of a Classic novel wherein there are aliens and stuff, which Dimitri had to admit the lead character looked cute but not as cute as the boy he had under his arm. They could play Xbox but Jack didn't want to pull it out unless Hiccup was there. Whenever they played, Dimitri would punch in some cheat codes in the controller and cream Jack in any battle game he had. Jamie would try beating Dimitri but didn't like using cheats. Hiccup was the only one who could avenge them without using cheat codes to counteract the Russian-American's cheat codes. So here they were, watching Jim's favorite animation, munching some sodas and chips settled on the coffee table while North was cooking up the final dishes for dinner. Jack tried offering to help, mostly to squeeze out the big news earlier, but the man saw through it and just made Jack entertain his friends which he was doing a bad job at.

The bigs news would be told before dinner, but they needed all present for that.

Jack scowled at Dimitri, crossing his arms. "I just rather not have fun when Hiccup's not here yet, that's all. It'll feel like I left him out," he didn't know why, but he was jumpy the entire evening and couldn't shake it off. If Hiccup was here, he could calm down a little. "And stop cuddling with Jim, it makes me more frustrated waiting for Hic to get here."

"Hey, after graduation next year, I'll have to wait a while before my Jimbo joins me again in college," Dimitri pointed out, "so don't get on my case about having to wait."

Jim face-palmed, muttering something about Jack and Dimitri being at it again and not believing that the two were the eldest in the group.

Jamie smirked, propping his foot on the top of his one knee, and popping a can of soda open whilst digging in on the bowl of cheetos. "How is it that you know what a good host should act like?" he asked. "you never even invite us over to your place except for Jim here."

Jack also never brought his friends over till now since they only got the house under control now, and all boxes unpacked fairly recent. Jack was usually at school or simply never bothered with unpacking, and North was finishing up the rennovations, getting the business started and all else considered to remember they had boxes that needed unpacking. Jack would've thought the celebration was for the fact they finally got moved in officially if not for the big news that still needed to be told. But that wasn't the issue now.

"I just make it my business to know." Dimitri answered smugly.

Jamie rolled his eyes, "Oh."

"Hey Dimitri," Jim spoke up, intertwining his fingers with his Junior boyfriend's, "I'm just wondering, do we have to be here right now?"

Dimitri felt fuzzy and giddy with Jim's seduction attempt, but decided to play hard ball and get his younger boyfriend to beg. (NO. Get your minds out of the gutter people. I meant playing hard to get). "Uhm, duh. Jack invited us over for some big news, and that's the whole reason we're here now in his living room, sorry if you wanna go to bed so badly, but we're here for a friend now."

"Then stop being such a rude guest and overbearing friend and shut the hell up already." Jim nudged him roughly on the stomach for hidden meaning on the last thing he said. An adult was present for goodeness sake. "you're never getting mom's complete blessing if you keep this up."

Jamie snickered, leaning back. "Dating guys who's got a mind of their own," he shook his head, "you two sure know how to pick 'em."

Dimitri looked chagrined, rubbing his stomach, before scowling. "Hey, I'm your boyfriend, who's side are you on?" he asked.

"The side that doesn't make it look like I'm dating an ass, so just watch the damn movie and eat your chips."

"Will you feed me?" Dimitri grinned, Jim stuffed a pillow on his face and saying something about not taking orders from anyone. "but you'll be the submissive one on be-" Dimitri said his voice slightly muffled. Jim proceeded to get on top of his boyfriend and pushed down harder on the pillow, trying to suffocate him. 

Jack rolled his eyes, before getting off his seat because the two lovebirds were taking all the space and going to settle on the arm-rest of Jamie's chair. "I've got some weird dorks for friends," the white-haired teen shook his head.

"Takes one to know one." Jamie lifted up his can.

Jack narrowed his eyes, clinking it with his glass of rootbear. "Shut up, you're one of them." he snapped.

Then the door bell rang, and Jack jumped excitedly, rushing towards the door, tripping once he got to the foyer but immediately got back up again to reach for the handle, only to pull back a bit to give himself a once over on the mirror.

"Yeah~" Jamie rolled his eyes, face-palming as he heard the door open. "sure I am." In his opinion, he was as normal as they could get.

"Hic!" Jack actually gushed, launching himself into his boyfriend's person. "talk about finally!" he felt all the tension he's been feeling rolling off his shoulders.

Hiccup grunted, trying to keep his balance. "Uh Jack, you might want to step back before..." he trailed off as his older boyfriend was knocked away from him, yelping in shock. "TOOTHLESS!" The brunette pulled the dog off, hitting him lightly on the head.

"You brought your overly-protective dog?!"

Jamie laughed, stepping beside his best friend. "Hey Henry," he greeted, using his real name since Jack made it clear only he gets to call him that. "and Jack, you're one to talk. You're overly-protective yourself."

"I am not."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, as Toothless moved a bit so he rested between them. "You attacked a guy at the mall just this morning when he approached me." he deadpanned. "honestly, you're as bad as Toothless."

"I thought he was Pitch!"

"He was asking for the time."

"Hey, that's a new kidnapping strategy! They ask someone for the time and then kidnap you the next instant when a van pulls over!"

"We were inside McDonalds! How in the world was a Van gonna pull over?"

"You're missing the basic point here!"

Suddenly, someone yelled from inside. "Dim-wit, get back here with my boot!"

"Haha! Oh wow Jim, don't you have any decent socks without holes on them?"

"So help me, you Dim-wit, give me back my boot or else I'll kick you to the next county with it!"

"Then you're gonna need the boot first!"

Jamie moved his head back and forth to the two couples he was caught up between, Jack and Hiccup were arguing like a married couple while Jim was chasing Dimitri around because he had stolen one of his favorite combat boots. Once again, the brown-eyed brunette face palmed. "I seriously need to get myself a girlfriend and away from you guys," he muttered half-heartedly. He cared about his friends, but his sanity was being tested. 

"That aside," Jack halted the arguement, the same time they heard a loud thud from the living room and a triumphant cheer from Jim which they both ignored. "why'd you bring him anyway? You know he always.... gives me the evil eye." he frowned when Toothless growled at him. 

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I've told you, he gets separation anxiety these days." he pointed out. "dad's busy at city hall and we both don't want to go home with the furniture knocked down."

North came towards the foyer, his hand raised in greeting. "Ah, there he is!" he beamed.

"Whoa," Hiccup blinked, not expecting his boyfriend's father candidate man to be as large as his own father. "you gotta be kidding me..."

Before Jack could think to comment to that, North waltz over and picked Hiccup up, the dog got out of the way before the man gives a mighty squeeze of a hug. "whoa, hey, North. Try not to kill my boyfriend, please..." he said dryly.

"Well, your fault Jack." North pointed out, putting Hiccup back down. "you never bring him over, I wonder when you plan to introduce boy to me."

"Sorry, North. I was busy the first few days after we got together earning the approval of his dad." 

"Well, I am Nicholas North Clausen. How are you?"

Hiccup smiled politely, raising a hand. "I'm fine. Please to meet you, Mr. Clausen. I'm Henry Horrendous Haddock." he introduced.

"Wha-?" North looked flabbergasted for a second, staring at Hiccup like a fish out of water. "... you're... Haddock? Does that mean you are son of-" the man stopped, catching himself.

Hiccup didn't notice anything odd, however. He was used to people reacting this way when he introduced himself. "Yeah, I'm the son of Stanley Horrendous Haddock, AKA Stoick-the-Vast, AKA the Mayor of Berk." he shrugged. Jack snorted, making a comment about a lot of 'AKA's "but let's not make a big deal out of it, if you don't mind sir."

"Er, yes." North agreed, rubbing the back of his head. Although the father was not what I made big deal of....

Hiccup turned to Jack. "So, how long is this going to last? My father told me to text him about it so he can pick me up and we can go home together." he told his boyfriend.

"Awww Hic," Jack pouted, circling his arms around Hiccup's waist. "you're already talking about leaving when you just got here?"

Jamie laughed. "You gotta admit Jack, you can be pretty hard to deal with." he teased, earning a glare from Jack. "I'm kidding, man." the brunette continued to laugh.

"Well, since all is here," North clapped his hands together. "we can begin. Everyone to dining room!"

Jamie went back in, swiping the boot from Dimitri and effectively handing it back to Jim to make them settle down. Jack rushed upstairs, screaming about grabbing his polaroid Z340 instant print camera, a fifteenth birthday present he got from North along with the news that he was planning to adopt him. Dimitri was giving Jamie the evil eye for ruining his fun while Jim talked engineering with Hiccup and asked about coming over to Benbow motel, the place he and his mom runned, to help him modify his customed-made motorcycle and asking help to get the parts he needed. Jim wasn't really what one would call an intellectual like Hiccup, but he's smart when he put in the works. He built his own engined scooter when he was eight. Of course, he didn't know he couldn't ride it yet at that age.

When Jack came back, North had some papers in his hands. "So what's the big news, North?" he asked, preparing his camera incase it was a photo op moment. "you won the lottery and can build your own toy factory too?"

"Hah, I don't need to win lottery to build factory. I can do that someday, but no, that's not news." He held out the papers to Jack. "this is news. You can call me dad now."

Jack blinked, his wide eyes almost looking owlish as he read through the papers. He gawked, seeing his name altered. "Jackson Overland Clausen?!? I'm officially adopted?!" he practically screamed, excitement building up. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it, Jack. It's what we've been waiting for!" North laughed merrily, picking Jack up and despite the grunt, the teenager struggled to throw his arms around the man as well. 

Jack laughed as he was placed back to his feet, his friends clapping and cheering for him. "This is awesome! When are you going to pass them?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, I can fax them now." North grinned, placing the documents into the fax machine and typing a series of numbers. "why wait tomorrow what you can do today?"

Jack laughed joyfully, practically bouncing, before running towards to glomp Hiccup who almost tripped over. The others gave him pats on the back. "I'm adopted, Hic! I finally have a father! Officially!" he beamed.

Jim flinched a bit at that before silently leaving the room.

Hiccup chuckled, patting his boyfriend's back. "I'm so happy for you, Jack. Congratulations." he said.

"Oh!" Jack pulled away from Hiccup the same time North came back from faxing the documents. "Photo Op! Everyone gather around me!" he threw an arm around Hiccup, and sticking against North, Dimitri squeezed in against Hiccup and Jamie ducked in front of Jack and his boyfriend, the brunette barely remembering to pull Toothless over so he could join in. The white-haired teen raised the camera up. "Say snowflakes!"

Everyone blinked at that, but North just laughed. "Snowflakes?"

Snap!

Jack laughed, pulling the camera back down and doing some editing and saved it, before waiting for the picture to develop. "What? You guys sound like you don't know me," he snickered, taking the photo and blowing air to it a bit and shaking it before taking a look. "Hah! You should see the looks on your faces!"

They all squeeze in, trying to take a look, making comments and cracks at each other's faces. But Dimitri noticed something off. "Hey," he frowned. "Jim's not in there."

"Huh?" Jack blinked, taking a closer look on the photo. "hm, you're right. Did he have to go use the toilet?"

Dimitri thought back, recalling something Jack said after the news, before grimacing. "Maybe... I'll go look for him, I, uh, need to use the toilet too." he went off.

"No funny business now," Jack called out teasingly. "remember who's home this is."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, but focused on the task at hand. Finding his boyfriend who was probably angsty right now. "Yeah, yeah, I know my boundaries. You can go on ahead without us," he waved a careless hand.

"Well," North rubbed his hands together. "let's eat!"  
~o~  
Dimitri had to look around for awhile before finally catching a glimpse of his boyfriend passing by a window, he was outside the backyards settled on some kind of swing set mostly for Kinder Gartners, why North even had one set up was a mystery, Or maybe it was just the old owners who left it there. Not exactly the picture one would find James Pleiades Hawkins in, but Dimitri knew Jim long enough by all those years in Junior High of innocent stalking (more like watching from afar) and this entire school year of dating that that wasn't all there was to the alleged Skater boy.

"Hey there Jimbo," Dimitri greeted, sneaking up behind the small-ponytail brunette who almost screamed, his heart jumping to his throat is surprise so the exclamation got caught, clutching his chest. "why'd you suddenly go off on your own?"

Jim muttered curses under his breath for the heart attack before answering. "I'm pretty sure, knowing you knowing me, you already figured it out." he said wearily, settling back to the swing.

"That could be true," Dimitri shrugged, bending down to Jim's level to nuzzle the boy's neck and making him shiver at the contact, "but tell me anyway."

Jim sighed, leaning against the warmth of Dimitri's body. "Obviously, I was thinking of my dad again, " he said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Jack and all so I left cause, you know, the last thing I want to send out bad vibes to this happy occasion for Jack."

At a fairly young age, Jim woke up to one morning and his father had up and gone. He only saw his mother crying at a table that was supposedly for guests. He had to comfort his mother without fully understanding what was going on. It was a rough life that he had to deal with without a guidance of a father's hand. Not that Mr. Hawkins paid him much attention even when he was still living there. They were never close to begin with, so Jim wasn't really upset that he left. Not exactly. He was upset because the man was never the father he should've been, not to mention a rotten husband.

"But it sucks that he's not even his biological son and they've a better relationship." Jim sighed, "don't you feel the same?" 

"You know I do," Dimitri sighed, pulling the younger boy's head to his chest. "but it doesn't matter, it's in the past and there's nothing we can do about it even if we wanted to, it's beyond us. End of story,"

As long as he could remember, Dimitri seemed to be always running from place to place back in Russia, his life always seemed to be in danger and he didn't understand why. His last memory with his father was riding on an airplane to America when he was at fifth grade and after being dropped off to the apartment he lived in now, he never saw him again. He never even remembered having a mother. For some reasons, he still got money brought to the school directly for his tuition and money was also mailed to him for food and the basic neccesities, but he could never track down where it came from. It didn't even assure him if his father was even still alive. He didn't know what he wanted in life, up until now, he didn't think he wanted a future until Jim became his, preferrably an honest future with the brunette. Now he had to make something out of himself for his boyfriend's sake.

Dimitri pulled away, going to the front of Jim, smiling. "At the bright side," he said lightly, taking Jim's one hand between both of his. "we'll always have each other, right?"

"Yeah," Jim smiled shyly. "I guess there's that. But you're still going to need get my mom's full approval. So far, the only reason mom's not against us because she doesn't want me to spite her for it."

Dimitri laughed wearily, rubbing his head. It was hard pleasing a women who was a homophobe trying to stop being one for her son's case. For all he knew, the women blamed him for turning her son gay. Which wasn't really far from the truth, honestly. 

"Hey, I'm trying, I gave her that new dress for Christmas, and it wasn't even an illegal purchase." the Russian-American pointed out, "and I've stopped selling fakes since Jack got us together."

Jim chuckled, simply kissing his boyfriend on the cheek, never allowing himself to admit to Dimitri how touched he felt when he really put the efforts to reform his ways for his sake. They were both messed up boys trying to get better slowly but surely, but they really only started trying when they found the reason to: Each other.

Jim didn't get an 'F' this entire semester, and that's really saying something. And Dimitri stopped selling fake IDs and other things that could land a guy a time in jail. Their friends didn't fully understand why they were even attracted to each other but they supported them all the same. Jim and Dimitri weren't entirely sure why either. Well, they knew why, but it was hard to put them into words. As cliche as it sounded, the best explanation they can come up with was that they completed each other. In one hand, they didn't have to try so hard to be worthy of each other because they were on the same league. On the other hand, they wanted to be a better person that the other could be proud of dating. It was perfect, their perfection.

"Hey, c'mon, the others will be wondering what happened to us, and I'm getting hungry." Dimitri said, cupping Jim's face. "okay?"

Jim smiled, reaching up to hold both hands that caressed his face. "One more?"

"I was hoping you'd ask." Dimitri grinned, leaning in for a kiss.

Then, they heard something, like a twig snapping. "What was that?"  
~o~  
Jamie and North were engrossed on a topic about Santa Claus, and how other related figures can help children growing up positivily whilst Hiccup kept picking on his food, glancing behind his shoulders every now and then. For some reason, he was very jumpy and unsettled. Jack's been watching him for awhile, and he just kept thinking he had the most adorable boyfriend ever and he couldn't be happier, and when he gets awkward and dorky makes him even more adorable. Now was a perfect example of an awkwardly adorkable Hiccup.

But soon, Jack notices that after awhile, Hiccup's awkwardness was too fidgety to be just about nervousness at being in Jack's home for the first time. Even Hiccup wasn't that awkward. Toothless is sensing it too, because instead of finishing his last steak, he kept a concern eye on his owner.

"Hey Hic," Jack spoke up, placing a hand to the brunette's shoulder to keep him from fidgeting anymore than necessary. "you're being jumpy, even for you. Is everything okay? Are you that eager to leave?"

Hiccup turned to Jack, blinking wide-eyed. "Oh, uh, yes... I mean no." he ran a hand through his hair, well, he was suppose to, but he just ended up smacking his face. Jack snickered, but he was still concerned, "Damn it... Sorry Jack, I just... I can't shake the feeling that something's off even while I was getting here."

"Off?" Jack repeated, cocking his head. "off in what way?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to explain further, when a large man with a red-braided beard wearing a two-pieced suit barged in, rushing towards Hiccup. "Son, you're alright!"

"Dad?"

"Did anything strange happen on your way here?"

Jack stood up from his seat, "Mr. Haddock, is something the matter?"

North felt something weird at his gut, the hair at the back of his head raising. He quickly went over to the fireplace, grabbing twin swords. "Jack, where are other two friends?" he asked.

"Huh?" Jack blinked, looking at the twin swords he had always assumed to be fake. "North, what's-"

Suddenly, something crashed into the window, which was a beeping sphere with green light. North widened his eyes, "Hit the deck everyone!" he swang his sword, hitting the sphere away just as the blinking green light turned red.

Everyone hit the floor as soon as the sphere exploded at the living room, smitherins of the couch and some singed stuffings falling over on them.

"What the hell?!" Jamie raised himself with his two hands. "A bomb?! Was that a really just a bomb?!" 

North pressed something on his two swords, and they turned into pistols. As two more spheres flew in, he shot them to explode ahead of time and away from there. "Jack!" he huffed. "get everyone down to basement!"

Stoick glared at the man suspiciously. "Are you one of them?!"

"Them who, dad?" Hiccup blinked, wide-eyed as he scrambling to get a hold of Toothless who kept snarling. "what's going on?!"

Jack stared at his foster father with unbelieving eyes. What's happening here? "North, where did you-?" 

"I'll explain later, go, now!"

Suddenly, they heard another set of explosion coming off from the backyard. And screams for help following.

"Oh no!" Jamie gasped. "Jim, Dimitri!"

North cursed, pressing a button that engaged steel doors to rise from the openings of the windows and door. "Jack, basement, now! I'll get friends, quickly!"

Jack still had trouble comprehending what this madness was but he nodded, as if mechanically, he grabbed Hiccup's hand and pushed Jamie towards the basement. Stoick cried indignantly, going after the teenager who had his son in tow. Whatever was happening, someone had serious explaining to do.

North rushed into the garage, and as soon as he got into a bullet-proof jeep, he crashed into the backyard. "Yippa!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some research a polaroid camera is another term for instant camera, and there's this new model wherein it's like a digi-cam wherein you can edit the photo before it gets printed. How cool is that?
> 
> Yes. North's gizmos and stuff aren't really mafia-related things. And he's not actually secretly part of a mafia, but he's secretely part of something else. I'll mention it on the next chapter.
> 
> Soo~liked JimItri? If you start making ficcs about them, let me know, I wanna read 'em.


	3. Vague secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something North isn't telling the boys, more importantly Jack. Can they trust him?

Vague Secrets  
*o*Chapter 03*o*

As soon as everyone was in, Jack barricades the door, he unplugs the cord of a washing machine and grunts, trying to get it up the steps until Jamie finally assisted him at blocking the door. Stoick looked around for other miscellenous furnitures to placed in front of the door as well. Toothless kept snarling, staying by Hiccup's side protectively. They could hear and feel the vibrations from above. Hiccup gasped suddenly, as if in realization.

"Wait!" The brunette cried out. "How will the others get to us if we block the door?"

Everyone froze, halting the operation. Hiccup has a point, but how will they be safe if the enemy gets to the door first? They couldn't leave the others behind, but the other option is just as risky.

"Ah damn it!" Jamie groaned, leaning against an old bookcase. "It's hopeless, they got bombs! The door and all these other stuff will just be blown to bits like the couch! What the hell is going on here anyway?!"

Jack slapped the brown-eyed brunette across the face. "Get a hold of yourself, Jamie! Now is not the time to panic!" he snapped.

"It's the perfect time to panic!" Jamie shot back. He was going to die and he didn't even kiss a girl yet. "We're being attacked with people who has bombs! Your father has swords that can turn to guns!"

Jack groaned exasperatedly. "And I'm aware of that, you ninny!" His phone started ringing but given the situation, he didn't think now was a good time to answer the call from probably just another girl in school trying to hook up with him, not believing he was really going out with Hiccup. "But get a grip! We're not going to die!"

"You don't know that!"

"Can ya boys stopped yer screamin' match and think rationally!" Stoick bellowed, staying by his son's side. "we got a situation and don't need anymore-" The man trailed off as they furnitures blocking the door jolted as the door was trying to be opened from the other side, muffled yells coming from the other side.

They couldn't make out a message, but it definitely didn't sound like North or the other two. Jamie stress levels were intensifying, and Hiccup clutch onto Toothless, trying not to panic himself. Jack frowned deeply, moving back down the steps, tugging Jamie down with him.

"Shit," he cursed. "we're screwed if we don't think of something..." Toothless kept barking, trying to struggling to get out of Hiccup's grip. "Can someone shut that dog up!"

Toothless finally broke free from Hiccup, rushing to a painting of North with this woman with a pixie cut hair and feathers on her hair, who Jack knew to be his lover but he doesn't know exactly what happened to her. But he knew, if they were going to get out of this, he wasn't going to let a dog ruin the painting.

"Oh no you don't!" He rushed to Toothless, trying to save the piece of art. But Toothless already pounced on it, making it drop to the floor. To reveal a secret hatch. "What the-?" he blinked, reaching towards the handle, pulling it open. He saw darkness, and it seemed to lead somewhere but it seemed more like a chute of sorts. "Guys! Come quick, over here!"

The other rushed over, with no better plan of action. "What is it, Jack?" Jamie asked. "You found a way out?" 

"Uh, I found something." Jack shrugged. "if it's any consolation."

Hiccup leans his head in. "Looks like a tunnel to a hole or something..."

"Well, it's something..." Jack muttered when Toothless suddenly pushed Hiccup from behind and dropped him into the hatch, following in after him. "HICCUP!"

"Son!" Stoick fits himself through to go after his child. "AHHH!"

Boom!

The boys whipped their head around, seeing smoke coming from the door, indicating there was an explosion and they can hear footsteps. Jack grabbed the painting, and Jamie grabbed the front of Jack's hoodie, hurling them both into the hatch.

"AHHHH!"  
~o~  
Jack finds his throat dried out, but he still kept falling. No, he realizes that wasn't the correct word. Wherever they were in this darkness, it felt like some kind of tube and as they delved in deeper, it seemed like they gravity wasn't pulling them, more like some artificial air pressure pushed them forward... Or whatever direction it was they were going. It was hard to tell, even harder to determine how much time has passed. Seconds or minutes?

When they saw light, they were flung out the tube and directly into an open trunk, Toothless sprawled over Hiccup. Jamie and Jack crash landing on Stoick, the white-haired teen's phone falling off his pocket and in front of him. They moaned in pain, Jack raises his head to see a slightly blood-stained Jim with a makeshift tourniquet around his head, laying unconscious at Dimitri's arms who look he had been rough-housed by some thugs. Which, given the circmustances, may not be far from the truth.

"O, klassno! Jack, you finally answered call." North laughed, and Jack realized his phone had several miss calls from North's phone which Dimitri was holding. "We're all here. Poekhali!" Dimitri pulled the trunk close as the man hit the gas and they drove further away.

Jack got off Stoick, settled the painting to a corner and rushed to his boyfriend, checking to make sure if he was okay. Hiccup had a few friction burns from sliding the steel tube, but compared to Jim, he was fit as a fiddle. When he raised his head, he sees that they were driving out of Berk, and blinks. How far did the tube take them? Well, there are several questions to be answered.

"North, what's going on? That secret hatch-"

The man cut him off. "It's been there forever, Jack. Well, not exactly. Been there since I modified the house years ago," North shrugged. "precaution in the event something like this happens. I have several other houses modified the same way in different states."

"Why?" Jamie raised a brow.

North took a turn to a forest path, swerving past the barriers. "Just in case enemies track me down to kill me," he says calmly, as if the thought of death didn't bother him, as if he was used to this. 

Jack didn't know this side of the man.

"Enemies? North, who would try to kill you?"

North sighed. "Mafias, Jack." he answered, and there was a collective gasp. "Mafias like the Berserkers, the Outcasts, and the ones from earlier... The Nightmares." Hiccup's blood ran cold, and so did Jack's. "I don't know why they suddenly want to attack me, Jack, but-"

"I do," Hiccup bit his lip. "I mean, at least I think I do... The son of the Nightmares is after me. He... uhm... kinda has a thing for me."

Both Stoick and Jack scowled at this. Toothless snarled.

North frowned as they broke out of the forest path and into an open road that would lead them to the main highway. "I doubt that we would be under that heavy an attack if it were only for that purpose, especially with a mafia being the instigators." he said. "I will look into the matter once we arrive to destination."

"North, where are we going? How do you even know about all this?" Jack frowned. "... What have you been keeping from me?"

North gripped the wheel. "Whatever I hid from you, it was to keep you safe. But now that it is inconsequential, just know that I am not like those who attacked us. But I oppose them." he sighed, pulling over for a moment, turning to look at everyone at the back, but mostly Jack. "Listen, I promise I will explain everything, but right now, we need to put much distance from Berk that we can manage. Mayor Stoick, will you leave the county to join us for now or shall I make an arrangement for someone to escort you back to Berk? I can take care of your son. I know you have duties to attend to. "

"No, my son will always come first," Stoick stated, putting a protective arm around his son. "he is my own family left and I don't trust you just yet, so I don't intend on losing him to you."

North smiles softly. "Believe me," he chuckled. "I am the least of your worries." Stoick cocked his head to the side, unsure. "I assure you, I'm an ally."  
~o~  
Jack doesn't know when, but because of Hiccup's fingers running through his hair, he dozed off. He woke up to muffled screaming, blinking blearily, he sits up. He looked at his phone and saw that it was a quarter passed midnight. He sees Dimitri with blood-shot eyes, and he figured he was the only one who managed to fall asleep, if you didn't count the still-unconscious Jim. Even Toothless was up, keeping his eyes outside for any approaching danger. Jack's fingers feels numb and he tries rubbing it together to let friction warm it up, when that didn't work, he stuffed them into his hoodie pockets. That's when he felt something in one of them, pulling it out, he saw that he brought his Z340 with him.

Jack smiled, somehow feeling grateful about the fact.

"Here," Hiccup handed him a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee. "it's a bit chilly tonight."

Jack takes the cup and begins to drain it, not minding the heat, letting it warm up his numb fingers. Suddenly, Dimitri lets out a startled gasp and before anyone could ask why, Jim's eyes begin to flutter open.

"Ow."

Dimitri let out a relieve cry, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Jim!" he embraced the younger boy tighlty. "thank goodness..."

"Again, ow..." Jim winced, but returned the embrace all the same. He blinked, looking around a bit. "How long was I out? And where are we?"

Jamie shrugged, "You've been out for awhile. And as for where we are, seems like we pulled over some kind of diner slash motel place, but where exactly I'm not sure," he said. "And also, adults are discussing things outside." 

Hiccup looked out the back window of the trunk, seeing North, Stoick, and the gray-haired stranger with a ponytail looking like they were quarreling. "What is going on out there?" he opened the trunk a bit to listen into them, and immediately the screams were no longer muffled.

Seems like only one of them was screaming.

"You can't be serious, you dragged me out here in an unholy hour not to kick arse with you side-by-side once again, but to take in a large bloke pretty much like yerself and a bunch of anklebiters?" The stranger shook his head. "Abso-bloody-lutely not! Listen here, you ol' bucko-"

"Okaaay..." Jamie shuts the trunk door. "let's just keep waiting."

Jack blinked, looking at his friends. "Was that... Aussie slang?"

"Uh, sounds like it." Dimitri shrugged.

Jim eyes the two older boys. "Aussie slang? What, does some NSFW porn videos you two watch come from Australia?" Jack and Dimitri choked, staring at Jim with a blush rising to the ends of their hair roots, and big ears in Jack's case. "Whoa, It was a joke. Did I guess right?"

"Creeps..." Hiccup rolled his eyes.

Jack sputtered. "I-It-Dimitri made me watch them!" he protested, pointing an accusing to finger to the Russian-American.

"H-Hey! Svoloch!" Dimitri scowled. "Don't just pin this on me! You were turned on as much as I was!"

"Svo-what?"

"Bastard. Thought you'd know since you live with a Russian man, too."

Jim made a face, untangling himself from Dimitri's arms, feigning disgust. "Uh, I think we need to either set boundaries or break up." he said.

"No! Not break up!" Dimitri wailed. "Anything but that!"

Jamie smirked. "Hey Jim, I thought you and Dimitri already done the deed." he teased. "why so shy?"

"Huh?!" It was Jim's turn to turn bright red. "I-I-I-We just slept together! Literally just slept! My mom would kill me if anything else happened!"

Jack smirked, ignoring Dimitri's hand make a neck-slashing gesture to shut up. "Uh, that's not what Dimitri tells us~" he sang and Hiccup face-palms at his boyfriend for torturing Dimitri. "told us you call him master on bed." Now that was a lie.

The expression of both Dimitri and Jim were priceless.

"Jack," Jamie narrowed his eyes. "that was overkill....."

"He what?!" Jim turned redder, out of flusterment or anger, no one could say. "DIM-WIIIIT! You son of a-!" he reached out for Dimitri's neck, who yelped backwards just at the same moment the trunk door was open again, and they both tumbled out.

And the adults were back. Everyone piled out the trunk.

The stranger looked down at the two boys trying to scramble to their feet, frowning. North pats him on the back, "Everyone! Meet E. Aster Bunnymund," he beamed. "he will be babysitter for awhile!"

"... Say again?"

"Bunny-mund?"

"Babysitter?"

North held up his hands as Aster face-palmed. "His words, not mine." he chuckled. "I need to go to get this sorted out, figure out if Henry's assumptions is correct or if it's something else."

"Wait, what?" Jack caught the man's arm. "you're leaving? But you said you'd explain-"

North turned to Jack, placing his hands on the teen's shoulders. "And I will. But until I understand more of what is going on, it'll have to wait. Right now, incase Henry really is target and not me, I need all of you safe and hidden."

"But I-" Jack was cut off when North embraced him tightly.

North whispered. "I'll come back for you, Jack, I promise. But now," he pulled away. "just believe me, I'll be back." He stood straight, facing Aster. "I leave things to you then,"

"You owe me big time, mate." The aussie crossed his arms.

North nodded, moving to get back on the car. Then Jack spoke up, "North, why? Why would a Mafia target you instead, if not Hiccup?" he frowned. "at least tell me that. Tell me how much danger you're in, too." He didn't voice out the next statement. tell me the odds of losing you, too...

"Jackson," North looked behind his shoulder, "it's because I fight against their schemes. That's it. I am their enemy. That's all mafias have to know to attack. All they have to know to pull the trigger." He got on the jeep and drove off.  
~o~  
Jack sat at the back seat of a van with all his friends plus his boyfriend's father and dog. He was silent throughout the travel, even Hiccup's gentle squeeze to his hand didn't comfort him much. Initially, Aster had came to meet up with North on a sports car. But since they were too many for a sports car, Aster called in Sanderson, a mute portly fellow who knows how to put someone asleep by either an acupuncture kung-fu technique or by simply pinching them behind the neck if there's no struggle. The sandy-haired man, hence his nickname Sandy, arrived with the van. And Aster called a tow service to bring his sports car... wherever.

So Sandy drived and Aster told him the directions from the passenger seat.

Aster caught the boy's expression at the rear view mirror. "Don't worry, mate." he spoke up. "North may be old, but he's the best among us. Even more so than our head-hancho so it was a great loss when he quit. So don't count him out yet." 

"H-huh?" Jack blinks, raising his head. "why did he quit... whatever it is you guys do?"

Aster crossed his arms, huffing. "It's none of my beeswax to tell ya the sob story, but one thing's for sure," he looked behind his shoulder. "you're the end of that story... At least, the end of the story until now."

"What?" Jack frowned. "End of the story?"

Aster didn't say anything more. This left the white-haired teen frustrated, looking at his friends incredelously. They looked sympathetic and just as confused. Stoick gave the teenager a light nudge. Well, light for him. Jack grunted

"Just like he said, lad," Stoick huffed. "believe him. You'll find your answers soon, as we'll all."

Jack sighed, not really having any choice but to go with it for now.

"We're here."

Everyone blinks, looking around to see that they were at a dock where a bunch of speed boats and mini-yachts. They looked at each other confusedly as Aster went out, going towards one large speed boat, and letting down a ramp. Sanderson drove over the ramp and into the speed boat before putting the van on park. He looked behind from the driver's seat and made a gesture for everyone to get down, Toothless exploring the new place like all curious, excited pets do.

"Hey Kangaroo, where is here?" Jack asked as he got off the van. "and why?"

Aster scrunched up his nose, glaring at Jack. "Excuse me?" he demanded. "is this a crack on the accent?"

"Sorry sir," Hiccup apologized. "but we're just a little freaked out by all this events and it would help our sanity to get an explanation every now and then."

Aster sighed, letting Jack's name-calling slide. "Well obviously, ya blokes can't go back to Berk. The fearlings might still be hangin' around." he said.

"What about my mom?" Jim frowned. "and Jamie's family? I mean, they're still back there."

Jamie followed up on that. "And what on earth are fearlings?"

Asteer waved a careless hand. "Mafias don't go after 'em people if they aren't involve in any scale or form with the targets or whatnots. As far as they know, taking in freckles's assumption, the only target is himself and his showpony boyfriend." he pauses at Jack's scowl and Hiccup's snickering, and grins.

"Showpony?!"

"And fearlings is just what our bunch personaly calls blokes from the Nightmare Mafia. Anyway," The Aussie shrugged. "so long as they don't know about you two being involved as well, then your folks are on the clear. And we have our people monitoring them as well to keep it that way."

Dimitri raised a brow. "Just how many of you are there?"

"More than you care to count," Aster winked. "as for where we are.... Well, mostly it's actually where we're going."

Jamie cocked his head. "Uh," he crossed his arms. "and that means....?"

"Technically, there's no official name. According to the governement, the place doesn't even exist. It's just a top secret hideout slash private beach." Aster explains and sees the apparent confusion on the boys' faces. He sighed. "Mind explainin' it to 'em, chief?"

Stoick shrugged. "See, North wanted us, well mostly you boys, at a safehouse, right? You understood that much, I s'ppose." he begun, earning nods from all. "well, since your all young, he wanted to make sure ya boys would still get a summer teenagers like yerselves deserve to have. So he had this arranged."

Jack smiles softly at that, "Now that sounds like the North I know..." he mutters.

"That's the North we all know," Aster corrected. "he may be in to some nasty business back in the days, and probably getting back into it now, but over-all, he's just a guy who wants to make people happy and safe, 'specially those he cares about. If anything, Jack's smile got bigger. Aster looks up to the main deck, where Sanderson gives a thumbs up, manning the wheel. "Let's cast off, Sandy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O, klassno - That's cool! (expression of approval or delight)  
> Poekhali - Let's go!/Kick it into gear! (like the spanish vamonos)


	4. Safehouse beach house part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are in a safehouse. They still don't know what's going on, but at least they have the chance to settle down for now, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, if you take note of the title, the events to this conflict will only transpire during Jack's summer vacation so I'll mark when those months will be starting now. So Honeybeeez told me that in her case, her summer vacay starts at late June and she told me she's going back to school at around September the 2nd so I'm going with something like that. June-September. June just ended here.
> 
> If summer is too short for this plotline, guess when summer is over in this ficc I'll just end it there and write up a sequel continuing it from there. But only half a year, I don't want this to go on forever like those shonen jump animes that don't seem to end.
> 
> ^_^ A smile can save a life
> 
> Disclaimer, I own nothing. AT ALL. But my brain.

Safehouse Beach House Part one  
*o*Chapter 04*o*

[July]

When Stoick first got the envelope with the Nightmares's Insignia, he didn't think things would turn out like this. The message came from Peter, warning him that he'll be after his son. Now one would think it was stupid, warning someone about an attempted kidnap. But the Nightmares were known for liking challenges, and Peter delighted in his arrogance that no matter how hard they tried, he will still get what he wanted.

Of course, he probably never thought that Hiccup's boyfriend had a father who knew how to take care of Mafia dealings. In a way, this caused Stoick to trust in North more. Even though he was Mayor, he couldn't very well use the town's funds to protect his son. Lest he be sued for doing so. Still, this didn't mean that things were no longer questionable. Stoick would but have to wait to see how things played out. 

But he never trusted those damn Mafias. He lost his wife to them years ago.

During the voyage, with the knowledge that they were going to a safehouse, the boys and Stoick were relaxed enough to catch up on some sleep down at the cabins below. There was only one room, but it was spacious enough to hold six people. Even if Jack and Jim did manage to sleep earlier, realizing that for most of the time after midnight they were wide awake and as drained as the others, in fact, Jack slept the longest and only woke up when they arrived at the island.

And when did arrive, they were glad they got their rest, because they realize that they were going to tired again by the end of the day.

"Woah, no freakin' way! We're really staying here for a while?!" Jack gasped in awe, marveling at the private beach that looked like an exclusive resort. "It's criminal that this place isn't available for the public."

Off the beach shores that wasn't the docking place for the ship they came in, there was an inflatable pyramid that they could challenge each other into a climbing race over the waters. There were some food stands, but they weren't sure who runned it. Then Aster explained it was self-served and the items needed like snowcone machines and whatnots were already installed. Stone-steps of a stairway led up to higher ground where one road lead to a infrastructure that looked to be a two-storeyed Villa with balconies overlooking the beach, hopefully their lodgings for the meantime. When the boys and adults climbed up the steps, they marveled at the sophisticated air. Trees were aligned in rows, rooted in freshly cut grass, bushes of flowers bloomed, and a pebble stoned paved path leading up to the Villa. Jim gasped, running up ahead, seeing several skateboard ramps with a shack of several skateboards he can choose from, even a few bicycles parked in stands beside said shack. And that was only half of it.

"Holy crap wow! It's like this place was prepared for us!" Jim was beaming in delight, and while Dimitri felt a bit dejected he couldn't be the source of it, it made him happy all the same that his boyfriend was in high spirits. With financial instability, he didn't usually have this kind of luxury. "this is too amazi-OW!" he cringed, holding his forehead.

Dimitri frowned, going up to the boy and pulling him to his chest. "Calm down, Jimbo, remember that head injury. I have half the mind to put you in bed rest."

"Don't be such a fun sucker, Dim-wit." Jim scowled. "it's not often I actually get to see branded boards, let alone use them!" he nudged him.

Aster rolled his eyes, muttering something along the lines of like bloody tourists... shaking his head before speaking. "We try to keep up with the trends. Besides, this is also an Island vacation getaway for most our younger members when they don't have tasks or trainings. And North wanted to take you guys here for the summer anyway, so we had the place prepared. Of course, we didn't expect things to turn out like this." he shrugged, looking behind his shoulder. "so Chief, you good with this?"

Stoick gave a curt nod, patting Hiccup's back, squeezing his shoulder. "Yes. I'm convinced you're not gonna push them into forced labor," he embraced his son. "stay safe son."

"Huh?" Hiccup blinked, his feet slightly dangling off the ground. "you're leaving?"

Stoick sighed, placing him back down. "I can't just leave my duties, Henry. The people of Berk voted me as their mayor, I can't just neglect responsibilities." he stood up. "don't worry, I see that you're in good hands. Jackson," he nodded to the boy meaningfully. "watch over my lad."

"You can count on me, sir."

Hiccup frowned worriedly. "But... if anything happens to you..."

"If your friends' folks are all right back at Berk, then I will be too. Don't worry, I'll keep in touch. I just need to take care of somethings, maybe have someone to take over for me. I don't know yet, but I'll be thinking about you at all times," he patted Hiccup's back roughly. "stay strong, son. Mr. Bunnymund, I leave him in your care."

Aster thumbs up. "Ya can leave it to me. Just rings us on our Alcapone anytime you wanna check on him."

Stoick went back down the steps, not looking back once until he boarded the ship. And Sandy set sailed. Hiccup was sad to see him go, and maybe a little scared. He never met his mom but he was still sad that she died, he didn't want to lose his dad too. Sure, they had some rough spots, especially when he first came out to him, but he loved his father. If anything were to happen to him... Jack frowned, not liking how Hiccup's face turned downcast. He was trying to think of something to cheer him up, but Jamie beat him to it. 

"Yo guys! I think there's a pool at the villa!" Jamie said excitedly, and Jack yelped as he was lifted off his feet. "Henry, let me borrow your boyfriend for a minute!"

Hiccup blinked, turning his head, and he, along with Dimitri and Jim, were snickering as Jack cried out indignantly, trying to get down back to his feet, yelling obscenities at his best friend. They followed them hastily.

"Damn you Bennette! You know how I feel about water, put me down!"

"Sorry~!" Jamie sang, laughing. "I can't hear you, maybe you can lend me those large ears of yours."

That did it. The others stopped snickering and just shamelessly let laughed outloud. Aster frowned, getting a headache.

"Oh, hardy har har! I'm serious, put me down! HICCUUUUUP!"

Hiccup smirked, trying to stop laughing because he was finding it hard to breathe. "Go on Jamie, drop him."

"Noo! Wait, wait!" Jack flailed his arms. "I got my camera!"

Jamie tried to keep balance while still keep Jack in his arms. "Liar!"

"I'm freakin' serious!" Jack fumbled through his pocket, still kicking to be let down. He brought out the item. "SEE?!"

"Jack, stop fidgeting! We're really going to-ahh!"

"NO!"

Jamie was slipping, and the were falling towards the pool, the camera being flung to the air. Hiccup yelped, trying to reach for it, knowing how much it meant to Jack. As soon as he got hold of it, Toothless clamped down on his shirt, preventing him from falling into the pool too. Hiccup clutched the camera to his chest as there was a big splash.

"JAMIE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"JA-*glob*-CK! COME ON, IT-*glob*HAAA! WASN'T THAT BAD!"

"WASN'T THAT BAD?! I'M AQUAPHOBIC, DAMN IT!"

Hiccup smirked, narrowing his eyes, Dimitri and Jim flanking his sides. "Well, as Jack would say, photo Op!" he raised the camera to take a selfie, despite the cameras lack of a selfie camera. Dimitri and Jim grinned, sticking close to Hiccup. "Say snowflakes!"

The other two made peace signs as Jack was still trying to drown Jamie in the background. "SNOWFLAKES!"

**_Snap!_ **

Aster face-palmed, wondering when the others were going to get here. He wasn't young enough to mingle with this kind of crowd! He was sure nagging these anklebiters was only going to make him feel older than he really was.

Then he had to remind himself, one of these boys was his nephew.

"AHH!" Jim yelped as he pushed him in. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR DIM-WIT?!" 

Dimitri laughed, jumping in too but didn't resurface. Jim was searching for his boyfriend before yelping when he was raised up, now settled on Dimitri's shoulders. "Chicken fight!"

"YEAH!" Jamie cheered, climbing over Jack's shoulders, he was panicking not to go down. "WE'LL PUSH YOU OFF!"

Hiccup smirked, shaking his head. "If Jack doesn't pass out first."

Suddenly, Aster's phone rang, and he picked it up. "Hello? .... Ah, bloody brilliant. How long do I have to expect ya two? .... Two hours?" he paused, looking at the five boys he had to deal with. "Ya, I s'ppose I can hold out that long...."

....

".... C'mon Aster, it can't be that bad, they're just teenage boys. Relax, we'll be there before you know it." a blond girl with a braid hair with a circular headband around her forehead said over her phone before hanging up. She turned her head as she boarded a speed boat. "Hurry it up, Snotlout. We're leaving soon."

Snotlout panted, lugging baggage with him. "Easy for you to say, you don't have to carry luggage, Astrid."

"Consider it training."

"I thought we just finished training." Snotlout scowled. "I can't believe our first mission after training is babysitting some snotty guys."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You haven't even met them yet. Anyway, if this mission is a favor to Mr. Clausen, consider it an honor. We might even get to meet him later if this mission goes well." she pointed out. "besides, the ones targetting these guys are Nightmares, so I doubt we'll be babysitting them for long. You'll avenge your father soon enough,"

"I like that," Snotlout suddenly grinned, "I like that very much."  
~o~  
When Aster finally got things settled down, throwing towels to the dripping wet boys, he led them to their quarters, giving them the key to the room they will share. Even if he argued with them, he was sure they would still insist sharing the same bed. Luckily, even if he did cause the rackus earlier, Jamie was single and seemed responsible enough to keep the hormonally driven boys with their mates from any shennanigans. So the best option was sharing one room together.

Of course, this might also mean they would never get any sleep at all.

"Waah! This is so awesome!" Jim laughed, jumping on to the bed, grinning at the softness and fluff. His bed back home was always a little hard and small, making it sometimes uncomfortable. So he could get used to this. The only downside was that he couldn't share it with his mom. That brought a frown. "Mom..."

Then, a shadow stood over him, and Jim looked up to see Dimitri smiling down at him. "Hey Jimbo, you know what would make this enormous comfortable bed even better?" he grinned, hiding the mischief from it.

"Huh?" Jim blinked. It can get better? "No. How?!"

Dimitri laughed and answered by jumping on top of the younger male, who squeaked in surprise and started struggling. "Cuddles!" the Russian-American cried out, burying his face into Jim's neck. "give me some sugar!"

"C-cut it out! That tickles, Dim-Wit! Ack, off come on! We're not alone in this room, damn it!" Jim complained, trying to kick the man off. "DIMITRI, SO HELP ME-!"

Hiccup was crying out too, trying to struggle out of Jack's arms. "NO JACK! You're not making me wear speedos! Toothless, help!"

Toothless growled, pouncing on Jack.

"AHH!"

"GAH! Bud, don't attack me too!"

Jamie stared at his friends, shaking his head in exasperation but also a bit of envy. "What're the chances I'll be meeting a hot babe on this beach?"

Aster heard this and smirked. This could just get interesting...  
~o~  
After changing their garments, the boys head down to the beach, although they had to drag Jim away from the skateboard ramp, Dimitri promising they'll get back to it after lunch. Aster was watching over them first, but after a while, he got bored and went to do some training. He figured the other babysitters will be along soon anyway. Although Jack was aquaphobic, he readily joined in when Dimitri made it interesting.

"Whoever wins gets an extreme make-out session from their designated boyfriends at the Jacuzzi!"

Jim and Hiccup gawked. "WHAT!"

"You're on! I can't lose!"

Jamie snickered. "Well, if you think about it Henry, Jack might finally get over his aquaphobia. Got be a good boyfriend and help him out with that." he nudged his friend.

"Ack, when you put it that way..."

Jim narrowed his eyes. "I don't see what's in this for me."

"You get some of this!" Dimitri answered, flexing whatever muscles he had, showing off his abbs. "C'mon, you know you want it!"

Jim flushed, but he could very well blame it on the heat. They never got this much sun in Berk. He hollered at his boyfriend. "HEY DIM-WIT! JACK'S BEATING YOU!" he smirked.

"WHAT!" Dimitri turned towards the pyramid, swimming towards it as Jack was already on the base. "NO FAIR JACK!"

"You snooze you lose!"

Jim rolled his eyes, turning to the other brunettes with him. "Hey, you guys wanna try wind surfing?"

"Sure, sounds fun." Jamie agreed. "you know how to?"

"Not really, but I'm usually a natural in these things."

Hiccup bent down as Toothless returned with the frisbee. "I'll play with Toothless for a while, you guys go ahead." he said, running towards the beach sand dunes.  
....  
"Aww man," Jack whined. "Hiccup didn't even stick around to watch me win."

Dimitri scowled as Jamie and Jim came back with the wind surfing boards, tired, especially Jamie, who wiped out a lot. "At least you actually won. Now Jim has now incentive to let me give him a hick-" he trailed off when a board was smacked into his bareback. "OW!"

"I wouldn't let you even if you did win," Jim hissed, blushing heatedly. "anyway, are we done here? Can we go skateboarding now?"

Jack shrugged, stretching. "What's the rush? Let's enjoy the beach a bit more. It'll be hotter at noon and I rather not burn." he said.

"How about a classic beach volleyball game?" Jamie suggested.

Jim sighed, but giving in. The skateboards and the ramp weren't going anywhere. "Fine, but you guys owe me."

Jamie ran up to the one of stands to get a volleyball and they started the match. Jack was wondering about Hiccup, but trusted his boyfriend enough to take care of himself. He was probably with Toothless or Aster. Anyway, they were in a remote island, it's not like fearlings could pop out suddenly.

Halfway through the match, it was plain to see that the boys weren't used to beach volleyball. But that was a given, the boys rarely even seeing beaches. Jim kept tripping over the sand, Dimitri could keep up but had bad aim, Jamie seemed to be the best player but it was hard to have a good game with bad players. Jack, for instance, kept hitting the ball to hard and making go pass them overhead.

"JACK!"

"Sorry!"

Jamie groaned, and ran after the ball. When he reached where it landed, he bended down to pick it up when suddenly shadows stood over him, and he flinched. He looked up and saw Hiccup, with two strangers. A guy that was roundish, somewhere between buffed and fat. And the most beautiful girl with gorgeous figure and lovely locks in a braid.

His mouth was agape, like a fish out of water.

The girl raised a brow at him. "Uh, hey, you might want to close your mouth?" she closed it for him. "you're drooling."

Jamie blushed, feeling the spot in his chin that her fingers brushed burn.

Soon, wondering what was the hold up, the others joined in. "Hey Hiccup! There you are! You owe me a make out sess-huh?" Jack blinked, as if just realizing the two people he never met before.

"Hey Henry, who're your new friends?"

Hiccup stammered, fumbling for words. "T-these two are Astrid," he pointed at the girl. "my ex-girlfriend back in Berk Academy." Jack and Jamie blanched at that. "And Stroll Jorgenson. But he usually goes by Snotlout... And he's my cousin."


	5. Safehouse beach house part two

Safehouse Beach House Part two  
*o*Chapter 05*o*

The gathering was quite odd, to be quite honest. Five boys clad in beach shorts with their designated favorite colors, and the new arrivals in sleeveless leather vests, the guy wore it with no inner garment showing off his abs with baggy cargo pants and buckled boots and the girl wearing a thin-strapped blue tank that showed her belly-button with a knee-length skirt, stockings tucked in combat boots. 

No one said anything immediately, even when Toothless came waltzing in. The dog eyed all the humans, as if asking them to take the frisbee from him and play. His ears dropped when he realized no one was paying attention, so he dropped the disk, scratch behind his ears and settled down on the sand.

"Your cousin?" Jim repeated, looking between Hiccup and Snotlout, from Hiccup's green beach shorts and Snotlout's get-up, it wasn't an equal match. "er, there's not much resemblance..."

Jack glowered, pulling Hiccup to him territorially. The freckled brunette blinked, looking at his boyfriend in some wonder. "That's what you pick to dwell on?" he glared steadily at Astrid.

"Woah, cool it loverboy." Astrid smirked, raising a brow. "we broke things off years ago at the Academy. Although I have to say, Henry could've done a lot better." she said, although it was obviously just for the sake of teasing Jack.

It wasn't obvious for Jack, though.

"Excuse me?!" Jack huffed, releasing his boyfriend. "how long have you guys lasted?" he taunted.

Astrid continued looking smug, snapping a finger beneath Jack's nose, causing him to flinch back. "Two years. And you guys, two months?" she grinned at Jack's flushed cheeks.

"Heh, not even a week yet actually," Dimitri chuckled, and Jack threw him a death glare. The Russian-American swallowed. "Uh, heh, too soon?"

Hiccup face-palmed. "Ohh boy..."

Jamie raised his head, meeting her eyes, "So, uh, that means you're.... single now?" he widened his eyes, not believing he just bluntly asked that.

"Wow man," Jim smirked, raising his eyebrows teasingly. "You don't waste time, huh? You must be so desperate for a girlfriend."

"Sh-shut up!"

"Hmm," Astrid gave him the once over. "that depends. Are you?" Jamie continued staring at her, nodding vaguely. She smiled, amused. "Well, we'll just see about the answer to that question later."

Snotlout scowled. "Hey Astrid, I thought we were going out." he complained, glaring at Jamie.

"Uhm your mind thinks we're going out," the blond narrowed her eyes. "so shut up or I'll run my axe by you again."

Dimitri raised a brow, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, okay, maybe we should take a step back and talk about this over a snowcone?"

"Sounds good." Jim shrugged. "Let's go, I know how to work a snow cone machine."  
~o~  
So the teenagers settled in beside the snow cone stand, and Jim just returned with the freshly made snow cones. For an island that wasn't really for tourists, the facilities were sure kept in order. After settling the tray of the treats down, he made to sit down on the vacant chair until Dimitri just pulled him to his lap.

Jim groaned, narrowing his eyes at the older boy. "Really?" Dimitri just smiled innocently. "damn, you're annoying." Jim complained, not bothering to struggle away. It's not like it was a real problem. And with the newcomers, he supposed it was better they knew who was dating whom. "So Henry, where'd you pick up these guys?"

"Yeah, and how come you never told us you had a cousin?" Dimitri followed up the question. " I mean, not that cousins were usually a topic in conversations, but we always thought it was just you and your dad."

Although Jim was also curious, he was also watchful of how Jack and Jamie were eyeing Astrid. Of course, probably for different reasons. He figured his other two friends weren't really interested much in the story.

"Uhh, heh, well, I found them while looking for Toothless. Seems he still remembered Snotlout and... to be honest, up until now, I thought he was dead." Hiccup said awkwardly.

Snotlout snorted. "Jeez, thanks for the vote of confidence," he said. "glad to know you at least remembered me."

"In my defense, you didn't exactly make yourself alive to us all these years."

"In my defense, I couldn't tell you how I've been living the passed years. Now can I?"

".... Okay, granted, but..."

Jim raised and waved his hand like a warning flag. "Hey, hey, let's back up a sec and how 'bout start at the beginning?"

"I agree." Astrid pressed her cheek against her hand, "'I thought he was dead.'? Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed with that. Like, why isn't he dead?"

"HEY!"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Astrid..." he sighed dismissively. "Well... last time I heard from him and Uncle, they were going on a cruise for vacation. Only... they never made it back. The ship went down and their bodies couldn't be found..." he looked at his cousin. "... or so they said."

"This is making less and less sense every time," Jim blew at his bangs, biting into his snowcone. "like seriously, why won't people just get to the point?"

Snotlout huffed as well. "Okay, okay, let me lay it out for you dopes..."

[Flashback]//{Reality}

A few years back when I was like, eleven or something, dad won this lottery and got us a summer cruise for a month. He got it from, Vegas I think. It was a pretty sweet joint too, I don't think I've ever saw red carpets in real life till then. Hell, I doubted I'd even seen a red carpet those Hollywood Stars walk on if not for the trip. And the ship had it laid over the floor. At first, I thought it was all pretty cool, the pool, the ball dance with lotsa pretty girls in dresses to flirt with...

(Astrid raised a brow. "Don't tell me you actually flirted with all of them." she snorted. "and this makes me question why you didn't die or at least have scars from the slaps I'm sure you got for those attempts."

"Scars? From slaps?" Dimitri laughed. "like girls can slap hard enough to leave scars."

Astrid glared at the Russian. "Sure they can, want me to sample one on your face?"

"Uhh, no, no." Dimitri shook his head, paling at the way Astrid shot this death glare at him. "I-I'm good, I'm good."

Jim rolled his eyes.

"Of course I did," Snotlout puffed out his chest, nose cockily on the air. "and why on earth would they slap me? I mean, look at me, who can resist this epitome of the ideal man, strong and handsome?"

Astrid gagged, placing a hand over her mouth. "Ugh, I think I just threw up in my mouth... there goes my appetite." she complained.

"Although when I asked for their numbers, for some reasons, they keep forgetting to put the last digit."

"Uh, are you sure they just forgot?" Jamie narrowed his eyes.

Snotlout glared at him, not forgetting the way he acted towards Astrid earlier. "What's your point?"

"Nothing."

"I'm surprise he even knows the meaning of epitome," Hiccup muttered, leaning towards Jack. "he wasn't always the smartest knife in our family shelf."

Jack snickered. "You don't say."

"Well anyway," Snotlout said, "as I was saying...")

... Did I mention that our cabins were pretty awesome too? Not to mention the beds, god, they looked really comfortable. Duh, they were King-sized bed. Unfortunately, Dad and I never got to sleep at them, or even sleep at all, cause the party we attended for opening night of the cruise was like hell breaking lose. 

There was a gunshot, and then a man laid dead on the floor, blood pooling below him. Everyone begun freaking out, more gunshots followed, some laid dead and shouts followed telling the guests to drop to the floor. So dad and I did and....

(Astrid interrupted. "Hang on, hang on, I thought you lost your dad in a Mafia attack." she said. "why would mafias crash and ruin a party? What kind of party was it anyway?"

"How come you don't know, Astrid?" Jamie asked. "I mean, I assumed you knew Snotlout long enough. Didn't he ever tell you?"

Astrid shrugged, waving a hand nonchalantly. "I'm new. Snotlout's been with the Defending Guardians association since they found him..."

"Defending... what?"

"Defending Guardians association. Basically, it's what we call ourselves. Well, Snotlout knew about them at least. But he just finished training same time I had last month, so thinking about it, he became officially part of it only now, so I only know he sucks at flirting."

"Hey!"

"Woah, but you're new... and you say you finished training the same time?"

"He was a hard piece of work," Astrid rolled his eyes. "Eret, a teenager like us but not a new member, told us Aster had trouble with him. Had to break down his arrogance, then his stubborness, then the obedience part."

"Woah. Guess you're a pretty fast learner." Jim pointed out.

Astrid shrugged. "Faster than him, that's for sure."

"You sure got the pretty part." Jamie muttered. Dimitri heard this and had to bite his tongue to hold in his laughter."What?" 

Snotlout scowled. "Can you guys stop talking like I'm not here?"

"Sorry," They chimed, but they don't sound particularly sorry.

Hiccup patted his cousin's back. They weren't very close, even then, but he was family. He felt he had to stick up for him a bit. "Ignore them Snotlout," he said. "continue the story."

"Fine," Snotlout rolled his eyes. "well, in answer, I think there was some shit thing in the that they wanted from one of the guests. 'course, I didn't know they were mafias yet back then...")

So they rummage through the dead guests's pockets, even the live ones. They only shot the ones who fought back. I found out later when the DGs found me that the thing they were after was some kind of deed for a casino in Vegas. Aster told me later Drago, the Nightmares head hancho, and the owner of the casino were distant cousins. And Drago wanted to take over the casino. For, duh, money what else? 

(Hiccup frowned. "And he got away with it?"

"Technically, money helps you get away with everything." Jack pointed out.)

No, they didn't get away with it. Snotlout's expression goes dark. Henry, you know this, but dad was a policeman. Of course it was his duty to respond in a situation like this. Dad attacked the Fearling that finally found this deed, and they struggled. For a moment, the deed was dropped. That got me to react for some reason, and as soon as I took it, dad told me to run. I did, and I didn't even look back when I heard a gunshot.

Suddenly, the ship begun tilting, and I thought there must be something wrong in the engine room or whatever place keeps the ship afloat. I knew I was being pursued. Especially with bullets narrowly missing me. But I couldn't let them get their hands on this stupid deed. So I did the only thing that seemed smart at the moment, I jumped off the boat, but not before a bullet planted into my shoulder.

(At this point, no one dared comment, no one dared to make fun, not even Astrid. This was something serious he was spilling. Even when Snotlout picked on his nails to display nonchalance, they had a feeling it was all he can do to not break down emotionally.)

Long story short, the DGs found me floating on some stray driftwood. I guess I was conscious for a while to find it before the injury got to me. This girl, Thiana, she's not with us anymore, but she patched me up. I don't really know what happened to her. Then again, I didn't know dad died till Aster told me no one in the ship had survived. They got the deed back to the owner, since, you know, that's what they do. Bring justice to the innocent from any mafia dealings. The family learned their lesson and sold the casino to build a different business.

And that's how I found a new home with the DGs, swearing I'd take revenge for what happened to dad that night.

No one said anything for the longest time, and Astrid was just realizing that underneath that bravado was a broken boy, and one who probably exudes arrogance as a defense mechanism. Of course, it was still annoying, but at least now it made for sense. Half eaten snowcones were left to die a melting death.

Then Aster came walking in. "Oy, I see you lot met. Saves me the trouble of introductions." he said. "Well, lunch is about ready. Come on then."

"Uh, right." Hiccup raised his head. "okay, thanks Aster."

Aster raised a brow, finally realizing the heavy feel around the group, and his eyes fell to Snotlout and almost instantly, he knew what was going on. He sighed, patting Snotlout's back. "Oy, buck up you buncha sad sacks." he said. "we all got our problems. Snot, you and Astrid just finished training and are bonafide DGs, give yourself a chance to celebrate. Now c'mon, I've got steaks."

"Steaks?" Snotlout perked up, so did Toothless from his half-dead position on the wooden platform of the snowcone shack. "Medium, rare or well-done?"

Aster shrugged. "All three, there's enough for all of you to have seconds, so all let's get to it."

They all stood up, Toothless going ahead of them probably smelling where the food was, but Jim stayed to clean up the tray that was messed up from the dripping of snowcones. Dimitri, obviously stayed to wait for him. Aster only hollered that they don't do any funny business, it was hot enough already. This, of course, brought a blush from the two boys and snickers from the group.

Jim turned the faucet on, letting the running water clean up the tray as he squirted some liquid dishwashing soap to it. He sighed, and looked up to Dimitri. "What is it with dad problems, huh?" he asked, a humorless smile on his face. "seems like everyone I'm meeting has it."

"Well," Dimitri shrugged, ruffling the younger boy's head. "like Aster said, we all got our problems. But you and I both know, we're facing it together."

Jim smiled at him.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"That... Adorable smile," Dimitri gestured to his face. "stop or else I will not be responsible for my actions."

Jim rolled his eyes, smirking. "Perv."

"Hey Snot," Hiccup called, catching up to his cousin. "I'm, uh, sorry about... You know, what happened to Uncle..."

Snotlout scowled. "No biggie. I don't want to cry over spilt yak milk, so I'm over it. Ain't gonna let this bug me." he said. "just gotta make sure that one of these days, the Nightmares are gonna get it, and if they really are out to get you, then you know I got your back."

"Uhhh" Hiccup blinked, never taking Snotlout to be inclined to family. He smiled crookedly. "thanks Snotlout."  
~o~  
They dined back beside the villa, where Aster brought out a foldable pinic table with matching foldable chairs, the steaks were on the grill. Honestly, it felt like they were just on vacation. As long as they don't think about the reason they were brought here free of charge and the two fresh-out-of-training and one long-time DGs, then they could pretend that they were just doing what regular teenagers would be doing for the summer.

They talked, about miscellenous things teenagers talk about. Astrid and Hiccup did some catching up, cause it seems like while they've broken up they were bestof friends and Astrid made sure Pitch kept away from Hiccup back in the Academy, based on what Jack understood from snippets of their conversations, which sort of made Jack feel uncomfortable but he was trying not to be like those possessive boyfriends in cliche teenaged movies. If he recalled, it never made for stable relationships. So he settled for playing with his steak, cutting them to pieces and dangling it up in the air till it fell and he caught it with his mouth. This game was what kept him entertained cause his boyfriend was too busy with his best friend. Jack envied Dimitri and Jim, who were acting like they were the only two people in the world. Jim kept cursing Dimitri who was keeping the steaks away from him and wouldn't let the younger boy at them unless he ate from his hand. Honestly, it was sickening as it was annoying as it was cute. Hiccup would be catching up with Snotlout if his cousin wasn't too busy challenging Jamie into who can eat the most steaks first under thirty minutes. Jamie didn't put up much of a fight, not really wanting to entertain this little rivalry Snotlout decided to wage against him. This seem to annoy Snotlout more into eating boarishly till he choked and scrambled about to get enough water down his throat. Aster kept barking at them to stop their yapping and their messing around, and to eat their food.

After letting the meal settle, Jim finally dragged Dimitri into coming with him to the ramps and into helping him choose a skateboard. The others followed eventually, leaving Toothless with Aster whom, since stuffed and well-fed from the steaks, was settling in for an afternoon nap under the shade of the villa's front porch. And while the boys set about picking skateboards, Jamie made his way towards Astrid who look a little less than interested with skateboards for the moment.

"Uh, hey," Jamie greeted coolly, Astrid looked up from her leaning position by one ramp. She smirked. Jamie tried not to show how nervous he was, as he placed one open-palmed hand to the same ramp Astrid was leaning on. "so, uh, you come here often?" Jamie mentally berated himself. Really, Bennette, really?! That's the best you got?

Astrid just laughed, placing a hand over hand to contain it. "Okay, you're new to this." she decided. "guess you don't usually pick up girls on your free time, huh?"

"Er... Not exactly..." Jamie rubbed the back of his head shyly, attempts to play it cool going out the window. "more like I keep Jack and the others in line. You know, because their hormonally driven teenagers."

Astrid raised a brow, smirking. "And how do they differ from you?"

"Well," He shrugged. "for one thing, they're in a relationship.... The fact that it's with other guys makes it more.... Hormonal, I guess."

Astrid laughed, conceding. "Well, I guess that's better than picking up girls." she said. 

"Soo, um," Jamie trailed off, not knowing how to keep the conversation going.

Astrid seems to realize his difficulty and decides to help him out. "You might be wondering," she drawled. "what a girl like me is doing with a group like this."

"Huh?" Jamie blinked, before making sense of her question. Did she figure out that I just want to know more about her? He wondered, thinking about it. Well, that was obvious from the start. Might as well... "Not really, I mean, you look like you seem to... I don't know, fit in this line of work... Uh, dealing with mafias I mean. You do come out as a strong independant woman, after all."

Astrid smiled appreciatively. Point one for this guy. she approved.

"But I guess, I'm wondering... Snotlout has his story," he pointed out unnecessarily. "and he told us. So... I wonder if it's a big deal if I asked... What's your story?"

Astrid interlocked her fingers before stretching her arms forward. "Hmmm, well," she drawled, setting her hands on her hips. "it's less deep, that's for sure. Found out my parents, who always told me they worked overseas as to why I don't see them often, worked as intel for the DGs. So I thought, why not, and decided to join up after my fifteenth birthday. That was about... three months ago, I think."

"Really?" Jamie blinked. "so, you're pretty much just going with the motions for no particular reason?"

Jim, after much deliberation, finally chose his board, that he claimed was the same brand of board with the same pattern that Tony Hawk first used ever. Everyone took his word for it, no one knew skateboard history like Jim does. He was the master, although that was something Snotlout disagreed on, saying he would cream them all as soon as he got the hang of it. Dimitri and Jack made knowing looks, betting on how long it will take till Snotlout would eat his words and admit to it.

Astrid smiled at Jamie, but it seemed a little sad. "Well, yeah, my parents are still alive and kicking. But, well, you tell me how finding out they work for some secret organization by being almost kidnapped for ransom to get, not money but some technology they made, and barely being rescued before falling off a fast-moving train to escape a rapist..." she paused for breath. "you tell me how knowing all that, and then just reverting back to the normal teenage girl you believed you were."

"Ohh." Jamie muttered, looking chagrined. "sorry,"

Astrid laughed, punching him on the shoulder. "Hey, it's no big deal. No one died... Well, no one I knew I guess. It was just something that shouldn't have happened to shatter whatever innocence I had at this age." she said. It sucked, but she was getting over it.

Jim was showing off at the ramps by this point, and the others tried imitating him the best they could, but Snotlout was looking dejected in his defeat. Jack slipped a dollar to Dimitri's hand. Hiccup gave up before he even stepped into the ramp, probably guessing it was better for his well-being as well as Jack's.

"Well..." He bit his lip. "if it's any consolation... Um, if kids can believe in Santa Clause, the Toothfairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman... All those other childhood figures that are basically nonsense to adults and teenagers... Well, if they can believe in that, then... Who's to say we can't believe that we can be whoever we want to be?"

Astrid looked at Jamie, cocking her head in some kind of wonder, and for Jamie, she couldn't get any prettier, the way her bangs fluffed over her forehead by the slight movement. "So, what are you trying to say?" she asked. "that I'm still a normal teenager?"

"A normal teenager who can probably hold a gun and leave scars by a simple slap," Jamie shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, you think I'm normal, but I still stand by with my childhood figures. We're all a little weird, so basically," he smiled at her. "Normal is overrated, anyway."

Astrid chuckled. "That cannot be more true."

"HEY MR. BIGSHOT!" Snotlout snarled, from where he stood above the ramp on his skateboard. "you get your butt here and let's see who's the master skateboarder deserving Astrid!"

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Uhh, didn't he just admit his defeat earlier?"

"Apparently, not all his defeats." Dimitri snickered.

Jamie made a face as Snotlout kept yelling at him. "I don't really want to humor him..." he admitted to Astrid.

"Well, you better." Astrid laughed. "he won't leave you alone unless you do,"

Jamie groaned. "Seriously? You don't humor him." he said defensively.

"That," she wagged her finger. "is a different story. Don't worry," she winked. "I already know who's close to that finish line."

Jamie blinked at her, trying to figure out what that metaphor meant... It was a metaphor, right? "I'm sorry... But what...?" he yelped as someone pulled him by his swimming shorts. "Hey, hey!" He let himself be dragged, making sure his shorts don't get pulled down.

"Ramp, now!" Snotlout grumbled, boiling with jealousy.

Astrid laughed, shaking her head. She looked to her side, and noticed that Jack and Hiccup were talking. She frowned a bit, concerned. Then, she sees the one called Dimitri beckoning him for a little freestyle contest on the other ramp Jamie and Snotlout weren't competing with each other on. Jack went along, and Jim was appointed to play as judge. This meant, however, he would be deciding who didn't suck the most.

This left Hiccup free. Astrid approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Hiccup looked at her, blinking. "What is it, Astrid?"

"Can we talk?"

Hiccup and Astrid went off, leaving the others behind. This did not escape Jamie's eyes, who kept glancing back at Astrid while he prepared to take on Snotlout. He frowned, not forgetting that they had a past. He had some confidence that Hiccup wouldn't cheat on Jack with his ex-girlfriend... But that didn't mean he had to like it.

Jamie shook his head, Don't get ahead of yourself Jamie, he told himself. their just catching up... Yeah, as if catching up during lunch wasn't enough, they still have to catch up cause they miss each other and care for each other and... and...

Maybe still have feelings for each other.

Jamie grumbled, and Snotlout looked at weirdly. "Dude, we're not starting yet. Why're you so steamy as if I beat you already?" he mocked.

"I'm not sure you're the one I should worry about beating me." Jamie grumbled, getting on the board. "whatever man, let's ride." he rode down the ramp, forgetting he wasn't an expert, and since he was leaning forward too much, he tripped and fell flat on his stomach when he reach the middle part. "Argh, damn!" he stormed off.

Snotlout raised a brow. "Uhh, did I miss something here?"


	6. Summer with the Mafias

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff gets serious

Safehouse Beach House Part three  
*o*Chapter 06*o*

Hiccup was wondering what Astrid wanted to talk to him about, but he agreed to follow her a bit ways off from the others. He had to admit, it was nice to see Astrid again. While their relationship didn't work out in the end, and because of Jack he was glad it didn't, Astrid was still a very special person to him. It would just always stay in a friendly special way. Still, he didn't know how Jack was dealing with it. He couldn't blame the boy for being a tad possessive, Jack grew up in a foster home, he never really had anything that he could call his. Even his bed was previously owned by someone. That's why things he actually owned was extremely valuable to him, like the camera North gave him, which was the very first birthday gift he got from the man. And the man himself, North, was special to him, because he actually adopted Jack, made him family when he could've chosen other kids. Now, there was Hiccup.

That's why Astrid's advice was extremely disagreeable. 

"What?" Hiccup gawked, staring like a fish out of water. "you want to me to what? Break up with Jack?"

"Just hear me out, Henry." Astrid raised her arm defensively, aware that Hiccup was raising walls.

Hiccup shook his head, frowning at the girl. "Astrid, I... I thought we broke things off properly. You said so yourself, it was a clean break." he said. "so why would you...?"

"Gods, Henry, no," Astrid narrowed her eyes, punching him in the arm. "that is so not the reason why I'm asking you to break up with him."

Hiccup rubbed the punched arm gingerly. "Then why?" he asked. "he's a great guy once you get to know him."

"He does seem like that, I agree. But..." Astrid bit her lip, lost for words. "It's just... Being trained under the DGs... Apparently, intellect runs in the family."

"What?"

"My parents worked as intel for the DGs, that's why I somehow got dragged into this. Basically, I want to join and fight my parents' battle... But I digress," she shook her head. "somehow, I have a sharp eye and a sixth sense on people. And this guy, Jack... I don't know, there's something about him that I'm put off about..." Astrid sighed, approaching Hiccup, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Henry, even if I'm no longer your girlfriend, I still don't want to see anything happen to you. And I just feel... Being involved with Jack... Something will."

Hiccup made a look. "If this is is about getting laid..." Astrid glared, and raised a fist. Hiccup held his hands up in defense before placing one hand on hers. "Nothing is going to happen to me. Jack made a promise when we started dating he'd keep me away from Peter's clutches. So far, he's sticking to that and I don't doubt that he'll keep at it. Well, technically, I'm safe thanks to North, but it applies." he said. "He really cares, he's looking out for me."

"You're not breaking up with him no matter what I say, huh?" Astrid smiled dryly.

Hiccup shook his head. "No, I can't do that to Jack." he said. "he doesn't deserve it."

"Okay, you're smart, a little stubborn at times, but smart." Astrid chuckled, squeezing his shoulder. "let's hope you're right and I'm wrong."

Hiccup smiled crookedly back at her. "I am right," he said. "Don't worry Astrid, and thanks for being concerned."

"Of course, someone's gotta look after you, poor excuse for a Viking descendant." Astrid laughed, throwing her arms around Hiccup. "like, seriously."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, patting Astrid's back. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a fishbone runt, I get it, I get it." he said. "you don't have to rub it in."

"You're the one rubbing it in every single time you act like a klutz!" Astrid teased.

They laughed.  
~o~  
Astrid and Hiccup came back, where the rest were basically just watching Jim do his thing, and ultimately avoid further humiliating themselves, cause honestly compared to Jim, the best freestyle they could do was riding the board. Jack raised his head, frowing upon seeing Hiccup return with Astrid, having smiles in both their faces, bring a dull ache to his chest. Which caused him not to approach Hiccup as per norm.

Instead, it was Jamie who approached Hiccup just as Astrid looked through the collection of boards and finally decided to give it a shot. Jim stops and waits for her to try it out, wondering if this time there will be some challenge because, like Astrid said, she was a fast learner.

"Hey Henry, uh," Jamie looks uncomfortable. Hiccup raised a brow, curious. "can we talk?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Sure, what's up?"

"So, you and Astrid huh?" Jamie tried to play it cool. "how did you guys, you know, even started out?"

Hiccup raised a brow, having a feeling he knew where this was going. But he decided not to give it to him until Jamie forms the actual question himself. "Well, she was pretty popular I guess. She didn't really even glance my way till, you know, I signed Toothless up for this dog show. She told me she had this Kerry blue terrier that she's been trying to train and asked for my help. That's basically how we clicked." he shrugged.

"Oh... So, that's basically what she likes about you? That... Your an animal lover?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Uhh I'd like to think she liked my other qualities too." he said, before smirking. "see Jamie, you gotta like a person for more than just one quality. Until you realize you like them for, you know, them." he patted his back. "so I'm sure you have a pretty good shot with her."

"Wh-what?" Jamie blinked. "I... I never..."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Good Odin, Jamie," he made a look. "I'm your friend, you don't even have to tell me what you really want to know. Just... I don't know, talk to her some more. Find a common ground, you'll hit it off soon enough. She's a pretty cool person."

"Sooo..." Jamie narrowed his eyes, wondering if Hiccup was just misleading him. "you're saying you're totally fine with someone else going after your ex-girlfriend?" he crossed his arms.

Hiccup raised a brow, "Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked. "she doesn't keep me from dating so i shouldn't..."

"What about her asking you to break up with Jack?"

Hiccup blinked, before pouting and crossing his arms himself. "You eavesdropped?" he asked. "not cool man."

"I'm just saying, think about Jack," Jamie raised his hands defensively. "I mean, it could make him uncomfortable, you know, like... You know Jack, he can be a little jealous, he just was awhile ago..." he said, as a scapegoat. "and... You know, it might make him think he has no more chance with her."

Hiccup smirked, face-palming and chuckling.

"What?"

Hiccup looked at Jamie knowingly, smiling smugly. "Dude, you're the jealous one too."

"What?! I'm-"

Hiccup forestalled him. "No, no. You just said it, I mean, you meant Jack, but it's obviously you when you said 'It might make him think he has no more chance with her.' seriously, it's obvious." Jamie blushed beet red. The shorter boy patted his shoulder. "Dude, we broke things off, no lingering feelings whatsoever. She helped me figure out I was gay, anyway."

"Really?" Jamie pouted.

Hiccup smirked. Gods, he's like a child sometimes. he shook his head. "Totally."

Suddenly, they heard Jim speak up. "Wow Astrid," he smiled. "you are a fast learner. But don't think I'm letting you beat me."

"Bring it, Skaterboy." Astrid laughed.

Dimitri scowled. 

Hiccup noticed and therefore face-palmed, snickering. Gods, she's still the popular girl all right. he shook his head.

"Let's place bets!" Snotlout hollered. "Astrid versus Jim!"

Hiccup smirked, nudging Jamie. The taller boy looked at him. "Well, we know who you're casting your bet on then."

Jamie blushed.  
~o~  
When they all finally decided that they wore themselves out, they returned to the villa to shower. Aster was strict in making sure they didn't share the same shower, because that was just pushing it.

Jack was the first one out, so afterwards, he went down stairs to the lobby of the villa where, for some reasons, there was a fire started up by Aster. Wiping his hair still with the towel around his neck, his barefeet meeting the cool wooden floor, he looked at the man looking outside and leaning by the door jam. He blinked.

"Night time already?"

Aster shook his head, looking back. "Well, it's still a quarter till six. But seems like a storms a'brewin'. Let's hope it ain't gonna come down too hard. Still, expect it to be a little chilly." he walked towards the teenager settling on a loveseat. "want some Adam's ale, showpony?"

"Ah-what?"

"Water."

Jack raised a brow, thinking that was a weird term to call it. "Okay... It's fine though, I'm good." he declined.

"So," Aster drawled, sitting down to the long couch, spreading his long, muscular arms out. "North adopted you, eh?"

Jack shrugged, going for that conversation. "Yeah, it was finalized just before the attack, actually." he said, chuckling dryly, "you know, this all still doesn't make sense to me. Or to any of us. We've just decided to ignore the big elephant for a while. But what exactly is going on? Who is North?"

"Not any of my beeswax to explain it to you, like I said." Aster said easily. "but don't worry. North's a good guy, you can take that to the bank."

Jack sighed, leaning back and letting the towel drop to his lap. "I believe that but.... I really wish I had a better idea on what's going... or why this even happened to begin with. I believe North also when he said mafias can't be after Hiccup solely. I mean, it seems... Out of the moon for their line of work to entertain a stalker's whim."

"..." Aster was silent, looking intently to Jack's face. "Jack,"

Jack blinked, staring at the man, since it was the first time he actually called him by name.

"Do you... Remember anything of your parents at all? Your dad or... mom?"

Jack rubbed the back of his head, having been ask this a thousand times before, it didn't seem out of place for him that Aster would ask too. "Well, as long as I can remember, I've only lived in foster care. The people who took care of me, well, they never said it, but I was an abandoned infant. And for some reasons, they didn't put any effort into getting me adopted... Then North came and..." he smiled small. "... well, he made me his family. Sure, I still need a mom to complete that set but for now, I'm good with North."

Aster looked conflicted, as if he wants to tell Jack something. And for a moment, he was. "Jack," he started. "you are-"

Then, they heard footsteps and see Hiccup coming down the steps, Toothless lapping by his side. "Hey Jack, Aster," he greeted.

Jack's expression turned a bit sour. Aster noticed and whistled. "Well~" he stood up. "you make yourselves comfortable, there are some board games under the coffee table, so go at them when the others come down. I'll go see what we can have for dinner." he walked off to the kitchen. At the mention of dinner, Toothless bounded after him.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried out.

Aster screamed. "Oy! Get this dingo off me!"

Hiccup chuckled, shaking his head. Then he looked at Jack, noticing how he didn't join in. He sat down beside him and snuggled into his boyfriend's chest. He never really initiated these kind of moments, but when Jack seems down, Hiccup would make an effort to do so.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked, his arms around Jack's waist, who wasn't really looking at him and just sulking. "Aww, what, are you pouting big baby boo?" he teased.

Jack's pouty face got cuter. "It's not funny."

"What isn't?" Hiccup jabbed his side. "c'mon Jack, you can tell me." Jack remained silent. Hiccup sighed. "This is about Astrid, isn't it?" he guessed, because Jamie wasn't entirely speaking for himself a while ago.

Jack denied it. "No, I-I 'm just thinking when we can get out of this island and to wherever North is." he said, it wasn't a complete lie. "I mean, you gotta admit, he still has a lot to explain to us."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I'm not," Jack snapped. "cause I don't lie."

Hiccup sighed, pulling his arms back. "Jack, please? Talk to me." he said.

Jack looked at Hiccup at last, the way he expressed his pleading face was almost impossible to resist, he bit his lip, trying to hold on to whatever resolve he had to... "Agh, fine..." he wavered.

Hiccup looked at him expectantly.

"I just... I... I know she's your ex-girlfriend, and that you would never cheat on me with her, because I know that isn't you..." Jack looked into Hiccup's eyes, searching for anything that may indicate his trust in Hiccup was misplaced.

He didn't find any. Hiccup took his hand and squeezed it. "Of course not. I couldn't do that to you." This brought a smile to Jack's lips.

"It's just... I don't know... Can you not have more fun with her more than you do with me?" Jack asked, pouting. "we only started going out recently and... I still haven't made you laugh and smile and... and just plain happy in enough times. I want to be the one that makes you happy most... But with Astrid, who used to do that for you... I just..." he sighed.

Hiccup expression softened, a blush blooming to his cheeks. "Oh Jack, you're such a dork." he chuckled.

"Jee, thanks," Jack grumbled, leaning back. "here I am, going through some insecurities over you, and you make fun of me. You're a great boyfriend."

Hiccup laughed, poking Jack's side repeatedly, and Jack kept batting his hand away. "I'm just saying, you don't have to be like that." he smiled. "I'm with you now, so give it a rest, okay?"

".... Okay." Jack sighed.

Hiccup smiled. "Good, cause you're a dorky green monster."

Jack hits him with a pillow. And Hiccup retaliates. They laughed, beating each other playfully with the loveseat pillows.

Then Astrid comes down cladded in a dark blue robe, a towel around the top of her head. "Hey boys," she greeted. "there's a Monopoly under the coffee table, want to set up the game while we wait for the others?"

Jack just scowled at her, grabbing Hiccup's waist and pulling him against his chest. The brunette sighed, face-palming, not seeing the way Astrid's mouth turned to a worried frown. Then, she shook it off, and just smirked at Jack. "Really, loverboy?"

Jack opened his mouth to make a comeback. When suddenly, they heard a crash from upstairs followed by screaming. Astrid responded quickly, rushing upstairs and Aster stormed out the kitchen just as Jack got the words out, realizing who screamed.

"Jim!" 

Jack shot up from the couch and rushed towards the stairs, making Aster blink when he practically ran up the stairs in a wall-climbing way by its sides, not using the actual steps. When he got high enough, he grabbed the railings and flipped to the landing, making Astrid surprise too, but she quickly recovered and continued her way.

"The bloody hell?"

When the reinforcements arrived, Snotlout was struggling on the bathroom floor, half-naked and a towel around his waist, and Jim was being dragged out the window by a man in dark-green two-pieced suit, kicking and screaming. "Let go of me, damn it!"

Astrid popped a gun out from under her bathrobe, taking it from a hostler strapped to her ankle and shooting the guy, narrowly missing Jim. The boy gasped, holding on the window while the man fell back.

"Jim, are you okay?!" Dimitri came bursting from the door, someone appeared behind him.

Astrid turned her head and gasped. "Behind you!"

Dimitri turned, barely reacting in time to duck under an incoming punch. Then, the man behind Dimitri lashed out, knocking Astrid's gun down and punching Dimitri down.

"Dimitri!" Jim pushed away from the window.

Astrid scrambled for her gun with the man, cursing. She kneed him on the groin, the man gasped and winced, pulling back from her. Astrid raised her pistol, ready to pull the trigger, when the man just fell back and collapsed to the floor after a loud bam! sound. Astrid stared, blinking at Jack whom was holding a bath stool with a broken leg. That same time Jim smashed a vase to the head of the man who was struggling with Snotlout. Distracted, Snotlout managed a blow to the jaw, knocking him out.

She whistled, patting his shoulder. "Not bad, loverboy."

"Thanks..." Jack breathed half-heartedly.

Snotlout pouted. "Hey! What about me?!"

Jim went over to Dimitri, sitting him up, who moaned, when Aster came in with Hiccup and Jamie. "Is everyone all right?"

Jim helped Dimitri to his feet. "We're all right, more or less..." he answered.

"What happened?" Jamie asked.

Jim frowned, looking a bit worried albeit confused. "I... I'm not really sure. One moment I was just going to shut the window, cause it was getting breezy, then suddenly..." he shook his head. "a guy jumped me."

Dimitri growled. "Okay, that is so wrong in many ways." he glomped Jim.

"You're not helping Dimitri's protective streak." Jamie said with a look.

Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "And I've got every right to be concern."

"Well, they don't look like fearlings, you can tell from the color of the suit but their still mafias." Aster stepped over the unconscious man, taking a boomerang, pressing a button and it turned to a pistol, like North's swords had.

Jack made a look. "Really?"

"State your business, mate." Aster glared at the man below him. "or I'll shoot you."

Jamie cocked his head. "Uhh isn't he unconscious?"

"Is he?" Aster scoffed, nudging the man with his foot roughly. No response. Toothless came forward and bit his hand. The man cried out, wincing "Ah, there we go. Now answer."

The man glared at Aster. "sygrát' v yáscik, svóloch'." He spat on Aster's foot.

"What was that?!" Aster snarled.

Dimitri blinked, knowing the language. "Err, he said something along tthe lines of... Go die, bastard." he translated. He's Russian.

"Go die, eh?" Aster glared at the man. He pressed down on the trigger and bang!

Jack gaped, eyes wide. "YOU KILLED HIM?!"

"Would've killed us if we gave him the chance," Aster bent down, pullimg something out of his pocket. It was some sort of device. He pressed a button and a beam of light passed over the man, as if to scan him. Maybe it was. When that was done, he kept it. "Just as I thought." he kept the device and then shot the other unconscious guy.

"The hell?!" Jamie gawked. "Is that really necessary?!"

The non-DGs seem to be frazzled over this, if you don't count Toothless, who seem to understand the necessity. Astrid points out that she shot a guy who fell off the window. "Snotlout, head out. See if he's dead. If he's not, fix that."

Snotlout nodded and rushed out.

"Woah, woah, woah, hang on!" Jack tries stopping Snotlout but the boy didn't him mind. Astrid leaves too and he noticed Aster making to leave too.

Dimitri got in the way. "STOP!" he blocked the door with his arms.

Aster raised a brow. "What? I gotta clean up before the blood stains become permanent, showpony."

"Just hang on for a second!" Jamie followed. "I thought you were the good guys!"

Jack followed on that. "Yeah! If you really are, explain why it's so easy for you to kill a living breathing human!" he demanded, "I mean, sure, they attacked Jim but-!"

Aster punched Jack in the jaw. Jack collapsed to the floor. 

"Jack!" Hiccup bent down, checking on him.

Jack looked at Aster incredelously. "Wha-?!"

"Piece of information, it's either you pull the trigger or they do." Aster said sternly. "don't lecture me about this, my sister died cause she failed to pull the trigger. Because she was the most pure-hearted among us."

Jack widened his eyes. Astrid shifted in her feet awkwardly, never hearing this side of Aster. The rest were pretty silent.

"Look, that device scanned for any foreign device in a human body. As it turns out, that man had a tracker. Meaning, whoever sent them is also tracking us. If I didn't kill him, the tracker would still be operative. And we can assume if they're not from the fearlings, then they must be working with them. Now if ya blokes don't think they deserve what they got," Aster glared at all of them. "believe me, they deserved it."

Snotlout came back, looking grave. "Aster, the body's missing,"

"Strewt," Aster cursed. "I was 'fraid of that. Outta my way, I need to make a call. We need to get you lot to a safer place." he pushed passed Jack.

Astrid and Snotlout follows him out.

Jack looked pretty shaken up, Hiccup hugging his shaking body. The other three exchanged looks, worried and almost as shakened up. It was one thing hearing about deaths and murders on the News, reading about them. But a whole new thing seeing it for yourself.

"Come on guys," Jamie was the first to find his voice. "we better get some sleep. We're probably gonna leave soon."  
~o~  
Jamie had been half right. Aster contacted Sandy to have the boat return to pick them up by the morning. But by sunrise, the storm decided to make its landfall, pouring down like cats and dogs. And it didn't seem like it was going to calm down anytime soon.

"Ack," Aster hanged up from the phone, turning to the youngsters settled on the couch and sofa plus a dog looking half-dead in his sleep on Hiccup and Jack's lap. "that was Sandy. With the storm signal, he can't get the permit to dock out."

Hiccup frowned. "So basically, we're stuck here, probably waiting for another attack."

"It sounds bad when you put it that way." Snotlout mused.

Jim made a look, raising a brow. "And how is this anything but bad, exactly?"

"Well, we can make it productive, mates." Aster turned to all of them, bringing out his boomerang. "everyone, to the basement."

"Wait, what?"

Aster rolled his eyes. "Well, we gotta make sure yer all prepared for the next attack. Showpony," he faced Jack. "what was that stunt you pulled on the stairs last night?"

"Uhh huh?" Jack blinked, trying to recall what Aster could be talking about. "oh, you mean that free-running wall-climb stunt? It's Parkour." 

Astrid cocked her head. "Parkour?"

"Yeah, the people at the foster care took me and some of the other kids to the mall once and we saw a demonstration of it. I got interested a bit, looked up some videos and taught myself a little of it. When North lets me help him out at his Toy shop, I saved up to take some official classes." Jack shrugged. "then, I got hooked with photography and it just... died, I guess."

Aster nodded. "Well, let's resurrect it. With some other techniques, it could make for a good defensive and offensive retaliation." he said, then looked to others. "And I guess, you lot should start some common knowledge in handling a gun."

"Woah, wait a minute," Jamie held up a hand. "you're dragging us further into this thing. We're not DGs, we're just some regular highschool boys that got sucked into this whole thing and have no idea in hell what's going on."

Snotlout crossed his arms, smiling smugly. "Yes. Obviously. And your point is?"

"The point is," Jamie narrowed his eyes. "we're not about to shoot people and make a life or death situation."

Aster cut in from there. "Well, sorry to say this, but you're already into this." he pointed out. "and unless you don't equip yourselves with self defense, they'll be making the life or death choice for you."

Jamie frowned, looking at his other friends. Jim shrugged. "Well," he said. "doesn't seem like we have much choice. If you think about it, we're screwed if the only thing we can do against them is kicking and screaming."

"Jim's right." Dimitri agreed. "Personally, I rather be prepared the next time we're attacked. Like it or not, we're gonna be stuck in this situation for a while. And we can't just rely on these guys to watch our backs."

Aster clapped his hands together. "That settles it then. Training is in session. Everyone, to the basement." he said.  
~o~  
So just as the rain poured down for the rest of the day, so did this impromptu training session. Aster was more freaked out with worry over the boys when they were attacked the night before than he allowed them to see, so he just let it all out on the training. While the villa was big, you could easily think of the basement as unassuming unless you've gone there. But when they went down, the basement seemed as large as a parking lot. Aster explained they had a submarine beneathe in just in case. The boys didn't know what they wanted to do now, train or see the submarine.

Of course, they went with training. Astrid and Snotlout, mostly Astrid, assisted the best they could.

That is, until they realized Aster would make Jack teach the rest a bit more about parkour. Jack showed them the basics, and they were all pretty impressed how he executed them all in such a fluid manner. 

"You gotta learn how to think like a traceur, and how to naturally adapt one's movements to any situation with skill and confidence, that's what the instructers told me." Jack said, while stretching. "after warm ups, you're good to go. Basically, parkour is free-running with some awesome stunts thrown in the mix. I don't how Aster plans on making this offensive, but I'll go along with it for now."

"Hm, yeah," Snotlout placed a hand on his chin. "why parkour though."

Aster commented to that. "It seems to me, with what ya did on with the stairs, parkour involves using your surroundings upon execution." he said. "if ya can use your surroundings to help ya, then that makes any good offense and defense." he said. "and if the showpony gets it, it might be the easier to teach than tai-chi."

"Riiight, and on that note," Jack drawled. "so, from what I recalled, there are five basic parkour movements to build off from. There's Roll, Simple Vault, Monkey or Kong Vault, Cats and precisions, and there's the Climb-ups."

Astrid spoke up. "Is that what you did last night?"

"I'll get to that, and no. Jeez, I didn't think it was much of a big deal." Jack rubbed the back of his head.

So Jack demonstrated the basic moves, taking breaks after doing excercises for each one. 

The Roll was simple enough. Like rolling over, except forward, so it's your head first then body. The others mastered it under fifteen minutes, but not without slight moans. 

Aster sets up some sturdy borders for the Vaults. That was a little harder. They had to jump over them, only using their arms as leverage then swinging theirs legs towards the sides to go over. Astrid, used to punching a lot, had enough arm muscle to get it first. Of course, Hiccup had the most difficulty. Dimitri struggled a bit too. 

The Monkey/Kong Vault was tricky. Similar to vault, the arms were the only leverage but with the legs, they had to push them over from the front and not the sides. Hiccup was about ready to drop dead. Since Snotlout had just as much difficulty keeping up, mostly due to stubborness and arrogance issues, he took Hiccup aside and brought him to target practice. In other words, he'll be showing him how to shoot with fake ammos. At the first shot, almost hitting Toothless, the dog retreated upstairs in annoyance. Astrid kept pushing Jack to show them how to do the wall climb bit, but Jack said they gotta master the basics first to even try attempting the wall climb.

When Jack taught them Cats and Precisions, they could see why it was called that. The way Jack demonstrated it, jumping from an elevated scaffold, then landing right on the edge of another lower scaffolding, it was as if a cat making an easy jump to a narrow ledge. They fell half the time, although Jamie didn't mind when even Astrid fell on top of him. She didn't seem to really mind either. 

Dimitri and Jim went to target practice while Astrid continued working on the basics with Jamie after Jack showed them the Climb ups, along with these other movements called muscle-ups and pop-vaults, which was similar to Jack's stunt wall climbing the stairs, except it was mostly jumping and reaching. What Jack did last night was a Wall-climbing with his feet, as if he was just running on flat ground.

"I'll show you guys..." Jack panted, taking a bottle of water and having a long gulp, "... what it looks like if you combine them to combos once you've mastered them. You can reverse them too, like the Reverse Kong Push... OH! And then there's this other awesome stunt called the Ginger flip that you-"

Jim groaned. "Jeez, man, let our joints breathe first!" he complained. "or we'll never move past the basics."

"Yeah, man, we're not gonna master this all in one night!"

They all laughed.

Aster studied Jack's movements throughout, already formulating a way to make the moves offensive. As the others continued training, he spoke aloud, telling how parkour can be applied in combat. For instance, while doing a vault, they can kick off an opponent away. The Climb-Ups could be an effective means of retreat. And in a way, the Roll could help ease and break one's landing.

Things went on like this for most of the day, and they only stopped to have lunch and dinner. Astrid was getting the hang of parkour, like that's a surprise. Jim seems to be doing better in target practice, though. So was Hiccup, who had good aim. He made a pistol seem fatal and deadly whenever he kept aiming on the Dummy's vital points. Dimitri seemed to be neutral in both, but he seemed more inclined with kickboxing. Aster also managed to teach him some basics on Tai-chi. Aster even got Toothless to learn some new tricks, like how to sniff out bombs and poisons and stuff.

And when the rain didn't let up for the next day they kept the training, or even when it did let up on the day after that they were still stuck on the island since now the main land was getting most of the downpour and Sandy couldn't dock out yet.

To those who best Parkour, like Astrid and Jamie, Jack managed to teach them the wall-climb stunt, although he was a bit uncomfortable showing her how to do something he can do. It was as if there was nothing that he could only do that she couldn't but he tried shaking that irrationality off.

Finally, the weather seemed to be going back to normal, and the last phonecall Aster made to Sandy, it seemed like he would be able to pick them up by tomorrow. They turned in early for the night, which was a relief because the training was exhausting and they only got to sleep early now.

But someone didn't seem to indulge in this respite.

Dimitri stretched, reaching out to hug Jim closer... Then, he realized he was reaching out to open air. His eyes fluttered open before he sat up, looking around frantically. Before he could raise alarm, however, Dimitri noticed that Jim's leather jacket was gone along with his combat boots.

So the Russian-American pulled his shoes on and his green vest before heading out to search for his boyfriend. He found Jim settled down on the porch, looking at the stars. He approached him, and when he sat down beside him, Jim didn't so much as flinch.

"Hey," Dimitri hugged him, to keep him warm. "couldn't sleep?"

Jim chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I guess," he admitted. "just... this whole thing is crazy... I mean, we actually trained ourselves to fight back. And I feel like... The moment we set foot out of this island, we'll be indangered."

"Yeah, the training did bring us back to reality. Kinda worrying, whatever's coming up next," Dimitri had to agree. "I mean it's worrying enough, I almost lost you and couldn't do anything about it. It'll be ten times as worse, being trained, and still having that chance of losing you."

Jim made a look, nudging Dimitri. "Hey, I may be gay for you but I'm not some delicate fruity," he scowled. "don't forget, I've been training too."

"That's true," Dimitri conceded. "doesn't mean you can pick your fights yet, though." he teased, jabbing his side.

Jim batted the hand away. "you-" he smirked.

Dimitri smiled down at Jim, leaning closer. That's when they heard the rustling. They didn't have time to react as men jumped down from nowhere and began an assault. Instinctively, Dimitri retaliated with a push kick, a Tai-Chi move Aster showed him, before grabbing Jim's arm and making a run back to the villa.

"HELP!" Dimitri hollered, not really because he considered them helpless even after training, but to sound the alarm mostly. "Wake the hell up!" Passing by a window, they were caught off guard when it crashed open, and the culprit who did it knocked Dimitri away, and the two boys lost hold of each other.

Jim was the first to recover, trying a reverse Roll to get back on his feet, only making stumbled into another man's arms. "AH!"

"JIM!"

Not yet mastering the Ginger Flip, therefore unable to use it to his advantage, the best Jim could do was kick and squirm once more. This was crazy! Why were they targetting him anyway?! Wasn't this Hiccup's initial problem?

"Get off me!" Jim growled, widening his eyes when he realize his feet were being dragged out the villa, he looked over his shoulder and gawked, paling at the sight of the helicopter. "DIMITRI!"

The others finally made it down, jumping in and trying to help clear the way to let Dimitri try and reach Jim. But after throwing a ball of Stun gas down, the men took off after the helicopter, in which Jim was being hauled into.

"JIM!" Dimitri gasped, making a beeline for the helicopter, fighting off the effects of the stun gas quicker than the others.

The helicopter was raising to the air, the door still opened wherein Jim was being pulled into. The men still below leapt to grab onto the helicopter legs, and Dimitri leapt at the same time, grabbing hold of one man's legs.

"Dimitri!" Jamie gasped. "be careful!"

Dimitri ignored Jamie, trying to reach out and make it to Jim's outstretch hand, their eyes locking and looking desperate. When suddenly, their gazes broke contact when the man whom's leg Dimitri was hanging on to kicked the Russian-American on the face, effectively making him fall off.

"Dimitri!" Jamie rushed forward in time to break the fall, "ACK!"

Jim gasped from above. "NO! Dimi-!" his cry was cut off by the closing of the door.

"No..." Dimitri could only look on in horror as the helicopter got further away, disappearing into the night. "NOOO!"


	7. Sidestory - Hawkins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Find out what really happened to Jim's dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is a sidestory. Every now and then I will be posting sidestories here and its purpose is to serve as background knowledge to the following chapter. On the previous chapter, Jim was kidnapped. Supposedly, the next one should be about his rescue and Jim discovering something about his father. But to immeditely get to that without further explaining his family background would be inefficient so here it is. Note, that the time period of when the events of this sidestory takes placd is while the boys were staying on the island.
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> ^_^ A smile can save a life
> 
> Disclaimer, I own nothing. AT ALL. But my brain.

Hawkins  
*o*Sidestory One*o*

Sarah sighed heavily, finally the last customers leaves the motel and she could finally close for the evening. It's always been rough working as both the cook and waitress, that's why she always relied on Jim to help her out. Of course, she didn't want that to hinder her son from socializing so she always allows him to go out in the few times he and his friends hang out beyond school hours.

Though it was fine if Jim never helped her, if it's the only price to pay to have him back safe home.

The phonecall would surprise any mom. Coming from a man that had an Australian accent, telling her that Jim was safe but couldn't come home right away. But to not panic, because he'll be in touch as soon as he can. She didn't even have time to ask questions because the man hung up the moment he was done speaking. She was in her night gown, but that didn't stop her from making her way to the Clausen residence where Jim said he'll be at. 

Only to find it in a chaotic mess, with the police surrounding the place, it would've looked forlorn if not for them. Sarah was in a panic, asking where her son was and if he was okay, and they told her no bodies were found inside. She told them about the suspicious phonecall, and they asked for her landline and they'll check on the call histories and keep her posted if they have any leads on her son.

Sarah was frazzled, of course she was. Any mother would be. They never had a lot, and Jim was her precious treasure, and she couldn't bare it if he lost him. He already lost her husband. Thinking of her husband always left a bittertaste in her mouth. One arguement, just one arguement about him coming home late, a mild accusation of him cheating on her with other girls in the countries the ship he worked on docks at (because Sailors are usually stereotyped that way. Being on sea with just men could drive any man frustrated.), and with her husband being tired and just wanting to rest, he accusses her of not even loving him anymore because all she does is work or take care of Jim. They had this arguement of these few things that could be worked on if they tried to work it out. They had this arguement the night before he was suppose to report back for another voyage.

The voyage that he never came home from.

Sarah thought he had his fill, because she never got a letter or message or any explanation why her husband never returned. She only imagined the worse case scenario, that he just decided not to return, and maybe create another family. That's how she was left to take care of a young ten year old boy who never understood why his father never came back, only knowing that his father should've return after a week since his departure, but he never did.

And neither of them knew the truth. But this is the truth.

Leland Hawkins was the regular family man with the regular intentions of feeding his family. But he was also awkward with dealing with his family, per se. They weren't properly married when Sarah was pregnant with Jim. They married months after Jim's birth.

That didn't mean he didn't love them both. He was just scared, unprepared for raising a family. He couldn't help it that this was the cause of several misunderstandings between him and Sarah, and maybe he wasn't always the father he wished he could be for Jim like that one time he didn't even stop to praise him for a Ship he made out of Legos since he came home late after a one week voyage.

He was failing his family.

Leland had to do something about that. His arguement with Sarah, it was the wine mostly talking for him. He was a tad drunk when he came home. He had been in voyage for a week and had three days of vacation. He tried spending the first two with his family, but he kept arguing with Sarah when she thought Jim wouldn't overhear because they usually talked about bills to pay, and when he spent time with Jim... Well, he didn't hate kids, but he wasn't particularly good with them.

He was going to need to try harder. This was what he decided on the first day he went back to sea. As soon as he came home, he'd bring Sarah flowers. He'd take Jim to park, to the skateboard ramps, he was pretty sure he saw him ride one once, and for the evening after Sarah closed up the diner, they'll bond over a board game or something.

Of course, things didn't happen like that.

It was the fifth day of voyage, Leland had been showing this stowaway they found two night before below deck on the cargo hold how to tie some knots. Sure, when they found him, a punishment was in order. But the Captain took it well and just made sure the stowaway made himself useful. The kid's name was Eret, and Leland decided to be nice to him since once they docked in, he'd have to be taken by the Social welfare agency for questioning. The kid wasn't an asshole or anything, just going through something.

For one thing, he wasn't that far of age with his son. Maybe Leland would get some ideas how to deal with preteens if he bonds with the kid.

Eret just mastered the bowline knot Leland was showing him when lines of ropes suddenly appeared from above out of nowhere and men came rappeling down from helicopters. At the first sight of guns, rifles and pistols alike, Leland dragged Eret off to safety.

"Protect the cargo!"

Eret flinched, as if remembering something. He rushed back into the crossfires, dodging bullets and making his way below deck. Leland gasped, following after him. Luckily, the the cargo deck was still clear of enemies. Eret picked something up when Leland shook him, scolding him for going off like that. Then, he saw that what Eret came back for was a bulldog he called Skullcrusher. Leland heard a stir, and when he turned, he saw a man holding a gun and a box tucked under one arm.

"Stay back!" Leland got in front of Eret.

The man put his gun down. "It's all right, I'm an ally." He said. "name's Nicholas Sudayev. If you want to live for the next 24hrs, or longer, follow me."

"Why shoud we trust you?" Eret made a look, "you're dressed in the same green suit the men up there are all wearing."

The man smiled dryly. "I am, what you would call, a double agent. These guys I'm pretending to work for are after some technology, which I got here." he gestured to the box. "And I'm incognito, making sure they don't get it, and my backup are coming any minute. Now, if you still don't trust my word, gentlemen, well... What other choice do you have in getting out of this alive?"

Leland glanced at Eret, the young boy shrugged. He looked back at Nicholas. "Looks like the answer is none. Lead the way, then."

"Okay, we gotta move fast, these guys rigged a bomb, and it's gonna blow in fifteen minutes." Nicholas dragged them along.

Nicholas gave Leland another rifle, and gave Eret his bulletproof suit that was underneath his clothes. They made it back to the deck, stunning and knocking two to three green suits while they were at it. They managed to drag along with them as much sailors as they could, and the two men avoided killing, mostly because they didn't want the child witnessing bloody murder.

That plan worked long enough till Nicholas's back-up came. They were just about to make their getaway, Nicholas carrying Eret to the helicopter when Skullcrusher jumped off his arms. 

"Skullcrasher, no!" Eret tried going after him but Leland pushed him back.

"I'll get him! Stay!" He rushed after the dog. When he finally caught up with it, he scooped down to grab him, but when he looked up, he saw several guns pointed at him from men a few feet away from him. "No..." he only had time to turn and attempt to make it back to the helicopter when he was shot.

His body jolted, and Skullcrusher flew out of his arms. Nicholas reached out and grabbed it, hopping unto the helicopter and yelling at the pilot to move out.

"SIR LELAND!"

Leland's last thougts before he saw darkness was "Sarah... Jim... Forgive m-"

And then there was a blast.  
~o~  
"Sarah," A man dressed in a nice red blazer and inner white shirt stood from his table. "I'm done with my dinner, do you mind staying open a little longer while I use the rest room?"

Sarah smiles politely. "Oh Delbert, your a family friend. I've closed the diner minutes ago, but feel free to go use it." she approached the table and begun collecting his dishes.

Delbert Doppler nodded, taking his leave. Sarah proceed gathering the remaining plates and glasses from other tables.

"Excuse me, madam?"

Sarah starts, nearly dropping the dishes she had been carrying out back to the kitchen. She looks up and sees a man in a two-piece black suit approaching her. "I'm sorry sir, but it's closing hours." She sets the dishes down for a moment. "unless you're here to check in for the night, I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Just a quick question." he pulled out something from his breast pocket and showed it to her. It was a photograph, slightly burnt at two corners, and it had the image of her son's friends in them plus a dog and large man. "are any of these boys familiar to you?"

Sarah looked at the photo and wondered where her son was. Then, maybe she figured he took the photo and was the reason he wasn't it. It didn't seem to occur to her that it looked more like a selfie attempt shot for that to be possible.

"Well, they are friends with my son, but what does-" she looked up and a scream was caught in her throat, she choked seeing a gun pointed at her face. "wha-?"

The man held a finger to his lips. "Now, I want you to come quietly with me, ma'am..."

"Sarah, duck!"

Sarah reacted fast enough, and the man only had time to turn when a chair was slammed into his face. Delbert grabbed Sarah's hand and rushed towards the stairs and started climbing, other men bursted in and started shooting. Sarah screamed, Delbert brought out a gun, although smaller in comparison to what the men carried. But when Delbert took several shots, they hit the chandeleirs that fell on top of the men.

Sarah blinked. "Did you actually aim for those?"

"You know, actually, I did, now come along!"

The fire from the candles on the chandeleir begun to caught to the table cloths.

When they reached the second floor, Delbert rushed into one of the rooms and opened a window, and hauled Sarah out with him. They went through and down the fire escapes, rushing out the alleyways when a van pulled over.

Sarah stops in her tracks but Delbert continued dragging her forcefully as the door slid open. "Delbert, what-are you one of them?!"

"No, no, Sarah! These are the good guys!" Delbert pulled her in, Sarah only had time to register that there were two other persons inside, one at the back with them and the other driving. Delbert slid the door shut. "Go, Vlad, go!"

Sarah gasped as the driver made a hard turn and they drew out of her street, and she could only look back, horrified at her burning motel-diner.

"W-what is going on here?! What are-why am I-why are you?!" Sarah would've started to hyperventilate when she felt a touch to her hand. She looked up, looking at the other women.

The stranger smiled kindly at her, and she stroked Sarah's hand comfortingly. She spoke in a European-like accent, probably Norweigan. "It's all right, dear, you're under the safety of the Defending Guardians now." she soothed.

"What is going on?" Sarah asked, trying to be calm. "Who are you?"

The stranger continued to smile softly. "My name used to be Valeria Haddock. Now I am Valka, leader of the Defending Guardians."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leland Hawkins is really the name of Jim's dad, I looked it up. And yes, the driver Vlad at the near end is Dimitri's friend from the movie. Although in this case, he's Dimitri's father's friend, ergo Dimitri's godfather. This, to be elaborated in upcoming chapter.


	8. Truths of Identity Set 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rescuing Jim... and other things

Truths of Identity Set 01  
*o*Chapter 07*o*

This couldn't possibly get any worse.

When Jack first invited them over to his house for some celebration, among the things he thought could happen that may be bad, this was the last worse thing he thought could happen. 

Scratch that, he didn't even consider the possibility of this happening.

It's not everyday you get kidnap by a band of men dressed in sickly-green colored suits. At this point, Jim gave up trying to get away. Because even if he did, his only escape route is jumping down to the vast dark ocean in the middle of the night. And while he was an okay swimmer, he didn't think he'd like to be eaten by sharks. Not to mention it would be difficult to swim with cuffs. So he settled for glaring at all the men hovering over him almost as much as Dimitri does.

Jim paused at that train of thought and shivered, pushing out the mental image from of his mind.

"For the love of-would you keep your hands off me?!" Jim hissed, shoving the two men on his flanks.

They finally landed into another lone isle, althought contrastingly smaller than the vacation isle he was previously at. And they were ushering him into a large building, with smaller warehouses surrounding it. 

"I know I can't run off, even if I did, I can't exactly swim with these cuffs on." he gestured to the magnetic cuffs on his wrist. They weren't like the usual. It had a remote, and when switched on, the cuffs buzz to life and were pulled together by a magnetic force, and it was impossible to separate them. "but believe me, once Dimitri gets his hands on all of you-"

Someone laughed, Jim glanced up, seeing it was a young man, not that much older. He had a bushy ponytail, and for a second he thought he also had a bushy beard, but it was just a tattoo passing off as a goatee.

"Ya mean that guy who tried chasin' after ya? I'm pretty sure I can wrangle him on my own single-handedly." He smirked.

Jim scowled. "I wasn't talking to you."

"You just did." he mocked. Jim glared at him and spat at his face. The young man glared back, wiping his chin. "This one has attitude, all right. Just like Pitch said. Well, once Drago gets a hold of you, let's see where that attitude will be, Henry."

Jim blinked, the gears turning in his head. "You think I'm-" he trailed off when someone hit him low in the gut. He grunted, choking and coughing at the pain. "damn it... that was... uncalled for." The young man grabbed his arms and dragged him roughly to wherever they were headed before letting go eventually.

They made their way through hallways and corridors, Jim glaring at any of the men attempting to grab his arms again. When they got to a large room, with the ceiling far and way above them. Jim spotted two men conversing with each other, one of them skinny clad in a long expensive-looking robe, and the other is a large man in some kind of body armor with a large machine gun slung on his back.

"You said we'd have fair share from the money you make off sellling the technology you took from the DG's intel division if we help you kidnap this scrawny lad your boy Pitch is hung up over." The man in the robe scowled. "What gives, Drago?"

Drago rolled his eyes. "Rasputin, you didn't hear me right, I said I'd consider it. And don't you stick that deal to my face when you haven't fully delivered your side of the bargain." he snapped. "I haven't seen the scrawny kid yet."

"What's the fuss over a regular teenager, anyway? Kidnapping a Highschool student seems like such a feeble thing for a Mafia to bother with." Rasputin crossed his arms, confused.

Drago shrugged, waving a dismissive hand. "Pitch is sick and dying. He's an only child so we can't give him a bone marrow transplant to try curing him." he said. "the Nightmares are going to need an heir though, so might as well give the boy his wishes and later make this kid the heir."

"Well, you definitely got a lot of work to do, to make him a selfish, cold-blooded mafia." Rasputin said. "from the photo, it looked like he couldn't even kill a fly."

Someone cleared his throat. "Sirs, we've come with what you asked for." he pushed Jim forward.

Jim glared back at the young man before looking up to face the two older men.

The large man did not look pleased.  
~o~  
Dimitri was in hysterics, it was all they can do to keep him sane and in control. Jamie and Jack had to sit on top of him while he squirmed on the couch as Aster made a phonecall to tell Sandy to come earlier. When he hanged up, Aster told them that Sandy will be there less than an hour, more or less.

"WHY NOW?! YOU COULDN'T ASK HIM TO COME EARLIER?!" Dimitri growled. "We could've prevented Jim from being kidnapped!"

Hiccup frowned, leaning against the counter and patting Toothless's head. "But it doesn't make sense, why would they kidnap Jim?" he asked. "I mean, you said so yourself Aster, they don't even know about Dimitri, or Jamie, or Jim's involvement with me and Jack,"

"That's what I assumed, freckles." Aster sighed. "they must've found out,"

"But if... ngh... you think... ugh... about it," Jamie was gripping on the couch to prevent Dimitri from pushing off, so as he spoke, he made little grunting sounds because it wasn't exactly comfortable sitting on top of your friend who kept struggling. "the night we... ugh... were first attacked... They were targetting Jim as well..."

Jack frowned, grunting as well. "It's as if... Ugh... Jim's the target. But that doesn't... ouff ... make much sense either."

"CAN WE STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND JUST SAVE HIM ALREADY!?"

Astrid sighed. "And where would we look first?" she asked. "I know you're worried about him, obviously more than we are, but we can't go about this blindly. We'll get him back, but we have to be smart about it."

"But if we wait any longer, they... they might kill him!" Dimitri said, a sob breaking out of his mouth. He stopped struggling, getting tired. Jamie and Jack frowned down at him, getting off. Dimitri sat up, raising his hands to cover his face. "I can't... I just can't handle that... Nevermind how I'm gonna explain it to Mrs. Hawkins... I... I just can't stand to lose him."

Jack's frown deepened, his eyes locking with Hiccup. They shared the same sentiments. Hiccup tried rejecting Jack when he confessed to him to keep him safe. Jack felt guilty the most, feeling that somehow he dragged all his friends into this.

Why couldn't the night he was officially adopted be purely one of celebration?

"Buck up, you sad sack, they ain't gonna kill him just like that." Aster said.

Dimitri looked up, still looking dejected but there's a spark of hope from Aster's words. "What makes you so sure?"

"If they wanted him dead, they could've done it on the spot." Astrid shrugged. "no kidnapping necessary."

Aster nodded, taking the device he used to scan for trackers out of his pocket and he plugged it into a laptop. "Exactly. They don't waste any time, if they want you dead and they got you where they want you, then you're dead. We just have to get to your honey before they decide they no longer need him alive," he said, typing a series of commands.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

Aster brought up a program and showed it to the rest. "I used the data of the tracker that the device scanned the other night to trace down the others. The closest signal is still moving. They're our best bet."

"Best bet in what? Finding Jim?" Dimitri asked eagerly. "how far is it?"

Aster checked the coordinates. "Not too far... Ah, seems they're coming to a stop in an islet a little off the coast to the mainland." he said. "sounds convenient." He typed another series of commands shutting down and unplugging the tracker.

"Aster," Snotlout came rushing in. "Sandy's here."

Aster ushered them out of the house, and they made their way down the shore. "Okay, listen up blokes. Once we get there, Stroll, ye're comin' with me into their base, along with Sanderson. Astrid, you watch over the ship and these guys and wait for us to come back."

"What?!" Astrid and Dimitri protested. They glanced at each other, before Astrid continued. "Why does Snotlout get to go? If this is because I'm a girl..." she glared.

Aster waved her off. "Nothing like that, shiela. I'm just sure they can skirt around Snotlout here and tag along. You're smarter, so lesser chance of that."

"Uh, I can hear you, y'know." Snotlout scowled.

Astrid huffed indignantly, but had to admit that Aster wasn't wrong. "Jeez,"

"Hang on there, you gotta let me go too!" Dimitri insisted. "That's my boyfriend they kidnapped!"

Aster rolled his eyes as they finally arrived. Sandy lowered the ramp down for them to get on. "Exactly. First rule in stealth infiltration missions: Never send someone emotionally attached to the mission." he pointed out. "we need someone calm, collected and who can approach this smartly."

"Uhh," Hiccup made a look, glancing over to Snotlout. "you're having Snotlout come along." he said pointedly.

Aster thought about that. "Yeah, well," he drawled. "he's been trained."

"And so were we!" Dimitri interjected. "what's the point of training us if you won't even trust us enough to help out?"

Jamie tried reasoning with his friend. "The training was mostly for self-defense, Dimitri. If you think about how well that worked out just hours ago... Well, Aster's got a point." he says. "It's risky. If we can't even handle defending ourselves, then it's too much to ask that they'll let us tag along. It'll be an epic fail if we save Jim and have someone else taken after."

"I know it must be difficult for you to hang back while your boyfriend is in hostile arms." Astrid placed a hand on Dimitri's shoulder. "but you've got to understand that there's only so much you can do for now. Plus, you're not even officially a DG. We can't order you into a mission, even if it's voluntary. It's just not protocol. Just leave it to Aster, okay?"

Dimitri looked torn and dejected. Astrid proceeded to the boat, followed by the rest. Dimitri sighed, following suit. As the ramp drew back, Jack stepped beside him. "Don't worry, dude." he said. "I'll make sure Jim gets back in your arms."

"How are you gonna do that?" Dimitri raised a brow at him. "you're not going along."

Jack smirked mischievously, from beside him, Hiccup saw it. "Oh boy," he rolled his eyes.

"Who says we're not?"  
~o~  
Drago grabbed the guy's neck, and the young man's eyes bulged, and he tried gasping for air. "You brought the wrong boy Eret!" he hissed, shoving him down. He reached for the machine gun in his back and Eret paled, crawling back before colliding into Jim's legs.

"Drago, please!" Eret begged. "you don't want to do this!"

Jim rolled his eyes, sighing. The guy was annoying but he didn't want to see bloody murder happening in front of him. He couldn't be obvious about that though. 

"Oh, I dunno, I think does. I mean, you're the odd one out." The brunette drawled. Eret stared at him, making a slicing hand gesture below his chin. "you are probably the youngest one here wearing a suit. The rest are, maybe, well into their late fifties? Early sixties?"

Drago raised a brow, his scowl looking crueler.

"Are you trying to get us both killed?"

Jim shrugged. "I'm just saying, the DGs got several recruits already to add to their numbers. Young members make for lasting organizations. While having older members..." he feigned a shudder. "can you say dinosaur extinctio-"

"Silence!" Drago grabbed for Jim's neck this time, which caught the brunette off guard. He lifted him from the floor. "No doubt your friends are on their way to rescue you, so the only reason I haven't killed you yet... is because you may prove useful in the event that your friend Henry decides to be uncooperative. "

Jim gasped and cough, kicking at his legs, begging to be let down.

"Take him to the holding cells," Drago dropped him, and he hit the floor right beside Eret. Jim coughed and gasped, catching his breathe. Eret actually looked concerned. "And take the screw up with him. I'll leave Rasputin to deal with him later." The other men grabbed hold of their arms and dragged them away.

Eret glanced at Jim. "You need to pick your fights more carefully."

"Yeah," Jim narrowed his eyes. "I get that a lot."  
~o~  
Astrid saw Aster, Sanderson and Snotlout off. They got on a engined-powered motor boat, a black one for stealth and the engine was noiseless. The yacht was settled not too far off, but they needed to get closer to actually land on the facility where Jim was held. When they were out of sight, she went back in to check on the other boys.

But when she opened the door to their shared cabin, she noticed immediately two were missing. Not counting the dog sleeping by Hiccup's feet. "Where are Jack and Dimitri?"

"Last I saw them, they said they were going to find something to eat." Jamie answered, looking away from the television.

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "There's a mini-refrigerator just inside this room,"

"Huh? Oh," Jamie looked around and spotted the said appliance. "Oh yeah. Huh, they must've missed it."

Astrid raised a brow, clearly Jamie really had no idea or didn't seem to be hiding something. She made a look to Hiccup who had a deadpan expression. "Hiccup?"

"If I told you I tried to stop them, but they just didn't listen, would you punch me?" The brunette asked, putting the book he was reading down.

Astrid looked exasperated. "And how did you try stopping them?"

"I told them they were idiots." Hiccup went back to reading.

Jamie made a look at his friend as Astrid face-palmed. "He's not wrong," Jamie quipped, looking at the blond. "Well? What are we going to do now?"

"Obviously, tell Aster." Astrid got her communicator. "if their not too far yet, they can bring those dumb bells back."  
~o~  
"The two dumb blokes snuck in the boat to join the rescue mission? Yeah Astrid, you're a little late." Aster said through the mouth piece of his communicator, glaring at the two boys who were rubbing their heads, feeling a little welt forming from being hit by the aussy. "unfortunately, we've arrived at the island by the time we heard them making noises. Can't send em back alone, and can't send any one of us back along with them. I need the back up and we haven't the time. Thanks for checking in, we'll keep in touch." he turned back to the boys while Snotlout and Sandy were concealing the boat.

Snotlout snickered. "You two are so dead."

"I wish." Aster said, smacking his hand to his forehead before dragging it down against his face. "If I told you to wait here and watch the boat..."

Jack finished that. "We'd say yes, and wait for you to be out of sight, before going off by ourselves." He looked at Dimitri who needed and they fist bumped lightly.

"I figured as much." Aster grunted. "Fine, just follow my orders and try not to get yerselves killed. I want the honor in doing that myself when this is over." He head on in closer to the facility.  
~o~  
Jim kept fiddling with the lock to the holding cell. Apparently, their captors thought no one had to stand watch since the cell could only be locked and unlocked by a fingerprint scan.

"Can't you unlock it?" He asked his companion.

Eret looked at him lazily. "Haven't been here long enough to earn the honor, m afraid." he answered.

Jim grunted, thinking how he can trick the lock somehow into opening. "Figured as much. You're useless." he said.

"Says the guy who got himself captured." Eret smirked, looking smug. "you look pretty stupid, you've been on that for thirty minutes and all that's got you is a frustrated look."

Jim turned back and glared at him. "Says the guy who kidnapped the wrong brunette." he snapped.

"Ah, now that, that wasn't an accident." Eret stood up, tired of sitting. He leaned on the bars of their holding cell, looking at Jim. "I know you aren't Henry, I was assigned specifically to pick up the wrong fella."

Jim now looked confused. "That's a stupid assignment." He watched as Eret bent down to raised up his pants.

"Not if you're actually a DGs workin' as a double agent against the Russian mafia," Saying this, Eret revealed his DGs badge, carefully hidden at a gun holster buckled at his thigh. Jim blinked, not expecting that. "So, what's your real name kid? Gotta know the one I picked to involuntarily help me with the assignment."

Jim didn't look amuse, knowing now he was just randomnly chosen to make sure the mafias didn't get who they really intended on getting. But he let it drop for now, he was mostly curious of this guy's deal. "Jim, Jim Hawkins. And now that I know who's side you're really on, did you HAVE to gut me earlier?" he asked, unconsciously rubbing his stomach.

"Touchy, aren't you?" Eret snickered. "Well, had to make it convincing. These guys have trouble trusting me enough."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Can't say I blame them." he pushed his hands to his jacket pockets. He still had the cuffs on, but since it wasn't activated, the magnetic force didn't keep them together. "So is it normal that the DGs send out kids to do their work?" He asked, not imagining North being the type to do so. Then again, the man did quit and it was under a new management.

"Nah, normally the recruit graduates get missions like taking care of victims while the veterans get into the field." Eret shrugged. "But I graduated my training and initiation under the same month I started. Been working with them since I was ten. I'm the youngest veteran in the DGs. Trained some of the recruits now, too."

Jim nodded, understanding somehow. He's not like Snotlout, that's for sure. Who's been with the DGs since he was eleven but only recently finished training. "So, how'd you even get tied in with these guys?"

"Well," Eret's face looked a little dark and sullen. "I was rescued. The Russian mafia. the one currently holding us in here, they raided this ship I stowed away in a couple years back, it was called the RLS Legacy, and from the bits and pieces of the conversation I heard, the course was headed to the DGs HQ. Of course, I didn't know what DGs was yet at the time..."

Jim furrowed his brows, why did the name of the ship sound familiar to him?

"Anyway, so the one's running the captain found me anyway. It could've been worse, but this sailor took me under his wing and volunteered to take me as his responsibilty. I owed him for that." Eret shrugged. "Thinking about it now, even when they were delivering cargoes to a facility that was not known to the general public, most of the sailors were just normal people with generally normal lives. Take the guy who kept an eye on me, he had his own kid and a wife. Had family bumps, and he wanted to make it up to them. Kept telling me his kid was about the same age group as me."

Now Jim's blood was running cold. "T-then what happened?"

Eret sighed, setting down to the floor. "What do you think happened? We were suddenly attacked by these dumb fellas," he cocked his head to the general direction of the exit of the holding cells, as if pertaining to the people outside of it. "Forgot something below deck where I was found, my bulldog. Leland found me, and he..."

"WAIT!" Jim called out, as if he's been electrocuted. Eret jolted, staring at Jim for surprising him like that. "Le-Leland? Leland Hawkins?"

Eret squinted his eyes, giving Jim a certain look. "Do you know him?"

"He... He's my father." Jim choked out. He hasn't heard a word of his father from years, he and his mom never talked about it. This was the last place he'd ever expect to talk about him again. "You... You knew my father?"

Eret rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I only know that the man's name was Leland... And he did mention having a son," he scrutinized Jim's face. "You... do kinda resemble him."

"Shut up!" Jim snapped, suddenly enraged. "Don't say that! That bastard doesn't look anything like me, he never even had anything to do with me!" he spat. "He was never my father! I never had one!"

Eret glared, raising to his feet. "Watch it. First off, that's your own father you're talking about. Second, I wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for half of his help." he snapped. Jim looked like he wanted to protest, but the older boy forestalled him. "Look, it ain't my business if he didn't spend time with you. He might've made up for it, he wanted to return home to make things up with his wife and kid but..." Eret looked down. "there were... complications."

Jim frowned, trying to calm himself down. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he got caught up. He was killed in action, if that double agent just did his job properly, Sir Leland might have..." Eret clenched his hands.

Jim's brows furrowed in confusion. "Man? What man?"

"There was this Russian guy, like me he was also playing double agent to the Russian mafia. He said he'd get us both out," Eret sighed. "he didn't, he's no longer with us and I guess I can't blame him entirely for Sir Leland's death. Still, it wasn't a pleasant experience working with him for a while. He apologized to me several times for his lack of competence during the mission but I wished Mr. Sudayev apologized to Sir Leland's family instead..."

Jim felt like he was electrocuted, putting the puzzle pieces together in his head. Sudayev...? Dimitri's dad...? He... he got my father killed? Before he could ask Eret any further questions, they heard a noise and sounds of struggle. Jim and Eret raised their heads, and heard rushed footsteps.

A young man in a green suit calm rushing, when he spotted Jim and Eret, he came to a halt and went towards their cell. He looked asian. "Eret! You idiot, you were ahead of schedule. You weren't suppose to return with the one you decided to kidnap until much later!" he took out a white glove before pressing his thumb on the scanner, unlocking the prison hold.

"Hey, plans changed Tadashi." Eret rolled his eyes, stepping out. "Mr. Clausen overestimated them. They really didn't put much of a fight."

Jim looked between the two, "Uh, what's going on?"

"We'll explain later. Right now, it's best we get out of here before-" Tadashi trailed off.

They was a bang as if a door hit a wall. "Mutiny!" A man yelled. "Get them!"

"Ugh, before exactly that happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hey guys, if you read a Prize not won, then you'd know I was in an accident recently. I'm okay now, just my leg needs to heal. Knee bends the wrong way. Anyway, I had my friend Lolsterz type this as I dictate so thanks to him I manage to get this out. Please read and review.
> 
> And no, Eret and Tadashi? Ain't shipping them


	9. Parental Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They managed to get into hostile territory. Are they going to be able to save Jim? Or will something have to come first before that can happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy reading

** A Parental revelation **

***o*Chapter 08*o***

"Perfect. Time for some wrangling."

Eret smirked, cracking his knuckles. He rushed forward, the men pulled out their guns. The DG agent raised his wrists-which had the same cuffs Jim had-and used them to deflect the shots till he got close enough, he popped a long, narrow cylinder-like thing, and when he pressed a button it elongated with two long blades sprouting on either ends, and started off with knocking down the hand guns.

The men begun backing away, to avoid being sliced, and Eret followed them out.

Jim blinked, so far only seeing DG stuff turn into guns. Tadashi sighed, shaking his head and face-palming. "Show off," he muttered, crossing his arms. He nudged Jim with his shoulder, the brunette looking his way. "Come on, let's get going." Tadashi emptied all the guns of their bullets first before walking out the door.

"Uh, are you sure it's safe now?" Jim asked, following Tadashi out. When they got passed the exit, Eret was sitting on a pile of unconscious men and emptying rifles. The brunette gawked at the scene. "Woah,"

Eret snickered. "I know, dumb bells right?" he dropped a now empty rifle. "forgot they had these on them."

"The only dumb bell I see is the one who probably alerted our presence to the whole mafia lords. Does stealth mean nothing to you?" Tadashi snapped, tipping Jim's gaping mouth shut, muttering a quick, "don't look so impressed. He doesn't need the ego-boost. Come on, we better hurry it up."

Eret rolled his eyes, standing and following Tadashi's lead. "Stick in the muck."

~o~

"Hey, I just got a call from the holding cells." A man spoke to his companion as they walked together. "they're calling for back up. Should we report in?"

The man walking along side him yawned. "Nah. I just got back from that failed kidnap attempt assignment. They can take care of it. Eret and that scrawny teenager won't be too much trouble anyway."

"All right, how about we head to mess hall and grab some-"

The man never finished his sentence because he and his companion were suddenly pulled roughly to a corner, and noises of punches and cracks were heard. What came in sight at the next instant was Aster and company, Aster and Sanderson fixing up the blazer of the suits they took from the two men they mauled.

"Okay mates," Aster turned to them. "we're clear on the plan."

Dimitri nodded. "Yeah, we're the intruders you captured and you'll be taking us captive to wherever it is they keep the prisoners." he said.

"As soon as we get in, we knock out the rest of the guards, find Jim and get out of here." Jack finished up. "Chill, we got this."

Aster snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you better," he looked at Snotlout. "Snot, if things go wrong, remember you're plan B."

"Relax aussie," Snotlout smirked, pulling out a cylinder. He clicked a button and it elongated to a sword. "you know I'm the man."

Dimitri narrowed his eyes, muttering under his breath. "This is rescuing my boyfriend we're talking about, he better not mess it up."

"Uh Aster," Jack leaned towards the man. "Why are we trusting him with Plan B again?"

Aster sighed, shrugging. "One, cause Plan A is less likely to fail. Two, he'll whine if we don't give him some major job. Three, Plan B is a fall back when things get desperate." he narrowed his eyes at the teen who was now shamelessly flexing his muscles. He grunted, and reached out to click the button and make the sword shrink back to a cyclinder. Snotlout pouted. "We're not desperate yet, rookie. Come on," The man started movie towards the stairs. "Sandy, you keep up the rear."

They moved on, taking the stairs because even with the disguise and Plan A, taking the elevator would just be pushing it. Aster's looked from a tracker disguised as a watch to where he was going. It told him the areas of the facility. Earlier they managed to find a computer and Sanderson hacked the system into giving them a layout of the facility. While they were busying themselves with that, Jack and Dimitri managed to find themselves some handheld guns. But that's not only they found.

Jack did find these sets of test tube racks containing a black chemical, it was perched on top of this suitcase. But he couldn't make out the name tag, it was faded. _Drag_ -something. Jack didn't think he ever saw a chemical that had a deadly black color. He caught the labels, and it read _Fearling virus._

That didn't sound good to him. Jack wished he could've find out more about it but Aster called on them and they had to hurry out. Just in time, they heard voices from the corner. And they managed to steal the suits from two mafia henchmen and work out a plan from there.

Still, the chemical unnerved Jack up to this point. He brought the subject up to Aster.

"One dilemma at a time, showpony," The aussie responded, but even he looked concerned. "anyway, I'm sure whatever it is, our intel is on it. We've got double agents situated in selected mafias every other week. So whatever it is, they're probably already on it."

Jack felt a bit comforted at that. It soon died, however, when Snotlout announced that they were almost to the holding cells. Jack and Dimitri went in front of Aster and Sanderson, placing their hands behind their backs as if to pretend that they were captives. Snotlout hid behind nearby crates.

"Okay, we haven't seen any greenies up to this point. But we have to expect a few of them to up ahead." Aster said quietly. "how's your acting?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Pretty good."

"Yeah, well, prove it." Aster pushed Dimitri forward for effect. Sanderson did the same with Jack, and the two boys feigned struggle as convincing as they can, Snotlout was already preparing for when he has to do the back up plan. "Hey! We got new pris-huh?"

Everyone blinked. The holding cells were all empty. If you didn't count the pile of unconscious men to the side. Dimitri dropped to his knees in despair.

"No," he moaned in a weak voice. "... don't tell me... we're too late..."

Aster furrowed his brows, scrutinizing the men at the side. "If by too late, you mean someone broke him out before us, then yes," he quipped. "we are too late."

"Huh? Who else could've break Jim out except us?" Jack queried.

Aster shrugged. "Remember what I told you? We station double agents," he said, walking out. "best hope we find them first before others find them out."

Sanderson helped Dimitri to his feet, Jack patted his shoulder. "Don't worry man, we'll find him, we'll get him back safely." Jack glanced back to the room. "we better head out before these guys decide bed time is over."

Aster beckoned them to hurry. "C'mon ya blokes, Snot found a shortcut."

"Shortcut to where?"

Aster faced them. "Assuming Jim was rescued by our own, then they're on their way to the exit now." he said. "we have to hurry if we're going to meet them halfway."

~o~

Jim was getting a bit restless. He found out that the exit to the place was at the opposite end of the facility. Add to the fact that their new companion, Tadashi Hamada, was adamant that they avoided running into mafias as much as possible which meant they had to take the corridors and halls less taken. Which meant it was the longer way. There were times when Eret was impatient himself and tried taking a detour, which almost led them into a run in with some henchmen or that Drago guy himself.

So now, they were strictly following Tadashi's lead.

"Eret, hey Eret," Jim was going to wait till they were safe and out of the woods before he would further question him about his father, but he couldn't wait any longer. "tell me more... About this double agent guy and my... my dad."

It sounded weird, after all these years, to actually utter that word.

"Not much to tell about Mr. Sudayev, Jimmy." Eret shrugged, stopping when Tadashi did. He was looking over his tracker.

Jim scowled at the nickname. "It's Jim."

Eret ignored that. "I didn't really spend much time with him even during training and initiations, guess while I can't entirely blame him for what happened, it's still awkward being around the man."

Jim frowned, not satisfied with that response. "I mean with my dad. How did he cause his... his..." he swallowed thickly. "...death? Like, what kind of double agent was he playing? Was he like you, like did he pretend to be a follower or was he good enough to act as someone in charge?"

"Well, let's just say he had enough of their trust to go off alone without it being suspicous. Unlike me." Eret sighed. "too bad he couldn't use that to his advantage when it had matter most. He could've-wait a minute," he made a look. "damn kid, you're making me forget it wasn't really his fault. What's the deal, anyway? It's the past, nothing we can do about it. Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore"

"The past... Huh." Jim looked down. "... doesn't matter... Unless it'll have something to do with my future."

Eret raised a brow, but before he could say anything, Tadashi spoke up. "We have a problem guys," the asian turned his head to them. "something's interfering with the signal."

"Well, it can't that bad." Eret said. "we've gone a long way. It must be pretty straight forward from here on in."

Tadashi considered this. "Maybe... Before it started acting up, the signal was pointing that way." He gestured straight on, where there was one turn off.

"Then let's get the hell out of here already." Jim huffed, moving forward, as bit faster that Tadashi and Eret had to pick up the pace to keep up. He wasn't really looking where he was going properly, and found himself bumping intoa man's chest. "Ack!"

The next thing Jim knew, he was wrapped in an embrace. "Jim! And thank goodness!" The brunette blinked, a bit daze from the collision. Then he realize it was Dimitri who held him. At first, he relished the safety and warmth Dimitri's presence always gave him.

But it was short-lived. "Get off!"

~o~

Astrid continued pacing at the top deck of the yacht just outside of the navigation's room. Even though they other two boys guaranteed they wouldn't try doing what Jack and Dimitri did, she still told them to stay in sight. Hiccup kept Toothless entertained while Jamie was wondering whether he should try talking to Astrid, something along the lines of making a move.

After a while of more pacing, Jamie joined her outside. "It's getting a bit chilly, why don't you come inside for some coffee?"

"Aster and the others hasn't contacted us in a while," Astrid ignored the teen's offer. "it's been too long. I wonder if they need back up."

Jamie rubbed the back of his head. "I'm no DG, but something tells me that's not protocol." he said. "I mean, Aster did say we should stay hidden."

"It doesn't matter what Aster says if they've all been captured." Astrid huffed. "What if they-" she trailed off as she heard a splash. "What was that?" They stayed silent, listening further for any more noises.

At the next instant, men dropped in from no where and Astrid and Jamie got busy.

~o~

"Get off!"

Jim backhanded Dimitri on the face, earning a yelp for the Russian-american. The skaterboy lost his footing for a moment, unbalanced and was falling back. The only thing that stopped him from meeting the floor was sturdy arms around his waist.

"What's up with you, kid?" Eret made a look, helping him stand. "this is your mate, right? You know, your mate-mate."

Jim gave Dimitri a sideways glance, who looked befuddled and maybe a bit hurt. "... That's debateable."

"D-debateable?" Dimitri choked. "what does that mean?"

Jim rubbed his forehead. "I-I don't freakin' know. Just... Just shut up. I can't look at you right now," he turned his head down.

"Wow..." Jack looked nervously between his two friends. "... you can cut the tension with a knife..."

"Aster, Sandy, didn't expect to see you guys here." Tadashi said, stepping forward.

Aster huffed. "Neither did we. You guys the double agents stationed here this time 'round?"

"Not exactly. No one was assigned to go incognito here this week, but we were selected to go with North to do a little inside work... Just in case things went awry." Tadashi replied, cocking his head towards Jim. "And it seems like it did."

Jack spoke up. "Wait... Dad? He's here too?" he asked, almost a little desperately.

"Uh, what?" Tadashi blinked. "Dad?"

Aster grimaced, looking a little bit uneasy. "Tadashi, Eret, this is Jack. He's... Well, North adopted him." he said.

"Oh, I see." Tadashi muttered, a little grimly. "Well, Jack, yeah, North's somewhere here. He sent me to go liberate your friend here and said to not wait up for him. He told us to go ahead and escape."

Jack frowned at that, shaking his head. "No way, I'm not going without him." he said firmly.

"Well, we were given our orders," Eret said. "Best we put our faith in Mr. Clausen and head out,"

Snotlout looked bored. "If you asked me, on our part, this mission's has been pretty quiet." he said. "Well, except when we took those suits."

"ASTER!"

Everyone jolted when they heard Astrid's voice from the aussy's communicator. "Astrid? What's the trouble, sheila?"

"We're being under attack! Permission to leave post? Over."

Aster's expression turned grim, he looked at Tadashi. "You guys have an ride out of here?" he asked,

"Of course." Tadashi replied. "I always come prepared." he showed keys with a similar keychain to that of Sanderson's yacht keys.

Aster nodded, speaking to the communicator. "Permission granted, get out of there! Over." he put the device away. "Come on you lot, if they've been spotted then we don't have enough time, let's hurry!"

They started running.

"But Aster!" Jack panted. "what about North?"

Aster huffed, making a beeline for the door up ahead. "He's a big bloke, he's old enough to take care of himself! I've gotta get you anklebiters outta here!"

"Ack!" Jim yelped, dropping to the ground. The cuffs had re-activated, and now he couldn't move his wrists or legs. "damn it."

Dimitri ran back to him. "Jim hang in there." he was about to pick him up but Jim scooted away.

"No, not you!" Jim hissed, and Dimitri didn't know if he was more hurt than surprise.

Eret grumbled. "Ah, we haven't the time for this!" he took Jim's arms, placed it around his neck and dashed ahead.

Dimitri frowned, feeling a little more jealous than confused now.

As soon as they all broke through the door did they encounter mafias at last. Snotlout smirked, pulling out his cylinder. "Yeah! This is what I was waiting for!" he grinned. He clicked the button, and it elongated into the sword from earlier. With the dull end, he slice a path through for the others.

Aster and the other DGs brought out their respected weapons as well, minus Eret who had his hands full taking care of Jim. Jack and Dimitri pulled out the handheld gun he found earlier, just to be safe. They backed the aussy up, guarding his blind spots. Aster threw his boomerang, knocking down three men who was on top of a flight of stairs.

"Go, go!" Aster hollered, ushering them over the top. "exit's that way!" He raised his hand to grab the returning boomerang while using his free one to turn the other boomerang into a gun and begun shooting anyone who got near.

Tadashi cuffed his wrist with two thick cylinders, clicked a button and suddenly he was encased in some kind of invincible armorsuit. The bullets knocked off harmlessly. Also, the hands part was suddenly shone with a white glow, and with some karate skills, Tadashi left some nasty marks, even slicing through some suits of the men attacking him. They were faring well, every men they encountered was pretty soon knocked out. Eret and Jim made it to the exit. Eret slammed his fist to the nearest button, assuming it was the button to open the door. Luckily he was right.

"Come on guys! Hurry it up!"

Jack and Dimitri begun making their way towards the stairs. Suddenly, they was an irritating sound, like a frequency. They cringed, eyes closed. Jack peeked one open to realize in horror there was a large man along with a thinner man behind him now in the middle of the room, flank by a man beside him just as large as the other. He was wearing a robe similar to the thin one. He seemed to hold the device from where the frequency was coming from. The effects of the frequency, Jack realized, was a counteract to the DGs weapons. Snotlout's sword reverted back to a cyclinder. Aster could no longer turn his boomerangs to guns. And Tadashi's body armor reverted to cuffs.

Drago smirked, pressing another button in the device he held. The exit begun closing.

Eret paled. "Hurry it up fellas!"

"Time's up!" Aster pushed Snotlout towards the stairs. Jack was about to cross the exit himself with Dimitri.

Then there was a gunshot followed by a cry from Tadashi. Jack turned back, gasping when he saw Tadashi down. On instict, he rushed back, jumped over the railing. He did a reverse roll to break his landing.

"SHOWPONY, THE HELL?!"

"Get to Tadashi, kangaroo!" Jack rushed towards Drago, narrowly missing a bullet. He performed a ginger flip, using the thin man as leverage. He knocked the device he held out of his hand. "Ack!" The teen did another reverse roll to move back quickly, grabbing the airborne device.

The steel doors closing the exit stopped for a moment, and that gave time for Aster to carry Tadashi out and for himself to make it before-

"Grrrraaah!"

Jack yelped, feeling the sting on his cheek from the impact to his face. Luckily, he was pushed back so that he was nearer to the flight of stairs. Unfortunately, he was too daze to move quickly.

Drago stood over him, holding out a long spear-like weapon. "DIEEE!"

"Jack!" Aster screamed. "Nooo!"

Jack held up his arms as a reflex, as if to deflect the attack.

"NO!"

Before Drago could go for the kill, out of no where North sprung out, abandoning the robe that was seemingly his disguise. He jumped over Drago, a surprising feat for a man as large as him. But this prove an advantage, as he manage to catch Drago unawares. He knocked the dark man to the ground, and landed perfectly in front of a surprised Jack still sprawled on the floor.

"KEEP HANDS OFF SON!"

Drago is dazed for moment, so it takes a while for him to register his words. He knew who North was, his damned mortal enemy. But... "You're son?" he looked towards the russian's way. "But your lady is already..." Then somehow, something inside him clicks. "OH! I see how it is!"

Drago laughs

North glares but looks apprehensive.

Jack has this look that says _'huh?'_

Drago smirks, looking far amused than he should be, considering enemies were escaping. "well then I suppose you got it wrong North." he said, shaking his head before pointing a large finger at Jack. "Because that boy is my spawn!"

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah folks, didn't use Aster or any other guardians to be Jack's friends. And didn't make Astrid show up. I might need to save them for mafia-related roles. Tell me if you want Jamie, Jim, and Dimitri to be more than minor characters. I mean, I want them to be. But I wanna hear what you guys think of it. Well if I'm really putting Astrid in here, then Jamie will be official too cause I'll probably pair 'em up like I did before. Plus, incase you haven't noticed, he's still single here. And that just seems unfair.
> 
> Sorry if the introduction is too long for... well, an introduction. See, I wanted to write about how Jack and Hiccup started out before the confession from the preview, but since this story is not really on a school setting, I couldn't go into detail. I could make flashback snippets as the story progressed, but in case I don't, well, here it is.


End file.
